StarGate: The True Story
by zealprophet27
Summary: The true story of the stargate and those who are involved. This is the story of a young woman's struggle to cope with a new life after the government stole her normal life away. Now she is facing numerous challenges and dangers of this mistake. T for language and violence, and to be on the safe side. This is an Daniel/OC/Ronon
1. How It Started

**A/N: Hello everyone. This is my first fanfiction story, though it is not the first story that I have ever written. I'm doing this not only because I like to write and create new worlds and people, but to get feedback. **

**I do not own anything that was already created before me, however I do own my characters and story lines.**

**Feel free to drop me a line, and I will try to fet back to you, as I am still learning this site and how to do everything! =) Enjoy!**

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_**Stargate**_

_**The true story**_

Okay, I know what you must be thinking. I didn't believe it myself…that is until it actually happened. We all have heard of the television shows and the movies about the Stargate, but no one ever believed it was real. Even those who said that it was real, well, they don't even believe it. But things were changing for me so fast since I came here and…I guess I should slow down and explain it all from the beginning.

See, I am here, in Atlantis. That's right, you heard me. I know you're laughing too, but that guy over there is Colonel Sheppard and there is Dr. Weir, and Teyla and Rodney…well, you get the idea. Everyone in the show is real and so is the gate.

Unfortunately for me, there was a mistake made by the government and they thought I was someone I wasn't…that is why I am here. I am no one special, just your everyday, average person…when it happened.

I was at work doing my job at the local news station, when these people dressed in suits walked in and told me to come with them…yeah, you guessed it. They pretty much arrested me in front of everyone…which I was so embarrassed about at the time but now it won't matter now because I'll never see any of them ever again. Okay, what got me off on that rampage? I have no idea…anyways, turns out, I wasn't the person they were looking for, so instead of just apologizing to me and letting me return to being the young twenty five year old coffee girl, they tell me everything! Literally. Now I will never leave. Again, not that big of a deal to me, now. I was in the SGC and I met everyone, well, not really everyone…just Dr. Jackson, Col. Mitchell, and Teal'c. They all are pretty neat people. Anyways…let me go way back to my first time in the SGC, after the arrest because that is still a touchy matter to me…

Col. Mitchell said as he extended his arms from his sides," Well, this is the SGC."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked skeptically. He looked at me kind of funny and I explained," I saw the shows…I didn't believe that it's real…"

Mitchell had a look on his face that made me worry, almost as if I was growing three heads. He said," Follow me." I did what I was told to…but there was still something wrong with the picture. He led me into the General's office and he whispered something into his commander's ear.

The General looked at me with a concerned look and said under his breath but I was still able to hear," You realize she'll never be able to go home now?"

After hearing that, I asked," What is going on?"

Mitchell looked at me and asked," You have no idea about the Stargate program?"

"I saw the shows and the movie…what is going on?" I asked concerned.

The General said as he motioned to the chair in front of him," Please sit." I sat and he explained," It would appear that we have made a mistake. You aren't supposed to be here."

"Great…then I can go home now, right?" I asked, dreading the answer because of his facial expression.

He shook his head and said softly," I am sorry but we can't do that. You know too much about the program."

I sighed," I won't tell anyone…I mean, who is going to believe me?" I had to chuckle a little as I thought about what I would say to those I worked with, _Oh, it was nothing. I just got arrested and got a tour of the SGC._

Mitchell stated sadly," Unfortunately, we can't take that chance." I put my hand on my face and shook my head in disbelief.

The General said sincerely," I am sorry…but you are welcome to stay here."

"Just like a dream come true," I said sarcastically. At least he offered me a place to stay, of course, the other option was what? Death?

Landry asked me, not picking up on the sarcasm," What do you mean?"

I stated slightly angrily," Looks like I don't have much choice…" I just stood up and walked out the door.

Mitchell followed me out of the office as he tried to make me feel better," I can show you around the base, you know, get you acquainted with the area and people."

"You can show me to my room and then maybe the 50 cent tour tomorrow, seeing that I won't be leaving anytime soon," I snapped. I didn't mean to be so hostile towards him, I mean, it wasn't his fault, but I was angry. I just found out that my whole life was just taken away from me. All that was left for me to do was live several miles down inside Cheyenne Mountain and rot...or so I thought.

Mitchell nodded and led the way. We walked in silence and when we got to the room that was meant for me to use for the rest of my time in the SGC, he asked," What is your name?"

I looked at him with a little bit of a sneer and replied," Ricky. But I think you already knew that."

Mitchell nodded," I did, but I was trying to ease the tension…anyways…this is your room and you can call me Cameron…"

I nodded and opened the door to my room. That night I sat on the firm bed in my new and rather bland looking room and cried until I passed out.

The next morning, Mitchell showed me around the SGC and we finally reached the gate room. We were standing at the bottom of the ramp and I looked at him sheepishly and pointed up to the gate. He read my mind and nodded so I walked up the ramp and stood in front of the massive, yet beautiful gate.

I started to reach for it, to touch it, when it started to activate. I looked around, not quite sure what was happening. Mitchell ran up the ramp, grabbed me around the waist and carried me down the ramp. Once he put me down, I looked at him and asked not so nicely," What are you doing?"

He explained," The gate is activating; you'd be vaporized! Come on."

I followed him up the stairs into the control room as we watched the Iris close up around the gate. The portal opened and we waited. Nothing was happening; not a sound. Soon thereafter, a man walked right through the Iris. I looked at Mitchell and asked," Can he do that?"

He said surprised," I think he just did…I mean it's impossible because it's titanium or something like that…"

The man who walked through the gate, looked up at the command window to meet our eyes and leapt over thirty yards away and crashed through the glass to the control room. He grabbed me and leapt back into the gate room. I fought back of course, but he threw me down onto the ramp in the gate room. He stood over me, turned me over onto my back to make me face him, grabbing a handful of my dark hair and with his other hand, it looked like he had reached into his head and pulled out this ball of blue light.

I was completely freaked out, so I couldn't do anything because I was paralyzed by fear. The guy just moved the blue light closer to me and placed his hand on my forehead. The blue light went right into my head, or so I'm told, and I was screaming like you wouldn't believe, mainly because it hurt like hell and the fact that I was scared out of my mind.

Mitchell had shot the man in the back and he fell to the ground next to me. I held my head in pain and Mitchell ran up to me and asked as he knelt down to my level," Are you alright?"

Still holding my head, I groaned," I hurt like hell."


	2. The Beginning

In the infirmary, I had just finished up with all the tests, every test that they felt was necessary. The doctor said," Aside from a lot of brain activity, she's in complete health. I found nothing unusual inside her."

Mitchell replied quite loudly," The guy placed a big ball of light inside her head!" he roughly pointed to the area on my forehead," Right there!" I glared at him as I rubbed the spot as it still hurt slightly and the poke was so unnecessary.

The doctor shrugged," Nothing's there." I looked at him and shook my pounding head.

Mitchell sighed as the doctor left. He asked," You alright?"

I nodded," The pain is gone for now…" I looked over at the, now very old guy and asked," Who is he?"

Mitchell didn't answer, he just sat there. I stood up and slowly made my way over to the old man. He looked at me and just waited. I asked," I have to know…what did you do to me?"

The old man stated," I am dying. I needed someone to carry on the gift."

"What gift?"

He replied after clearing his dry throat," My gifts…I have more than one…but I am not sure if you'll receive all of them or not, as the exchange was interrupted." He shot Mitchell a look, which made him shift uncomfortably. I waited for him to continue. He told me everything…I'll shorten it for you so you won't get bored like I almost did.

I pretty much have several gifts that this alien guy passed down to me. Visions being one of the strongest. A vision is what I like to call my migraines with pictures, names and faces…and a lot of pain. Needless to say, they hurt like hell. Nothing works for the pain, trust me, I have tried everything! Anyways, aside from the visions, I will never age ever again. Most of you will think that is great but think of it this way…never mind…it wouldn't matter, and I don't have time to discuss morals…he told me some other stuff but he was going in and out of consciousness, so he made hardly any sense in the end… and I couldn't believe any of this…so I left and sat in my room. A few hours later, Mitchell had sent Daniel to talk to me.

I was sitting on my ever growing hard bed when Daniel walked in to talk to me. He saw me just sitting with my knees up to my chest and staring out into space. He walked in, closing the door behind him and sat next to me on the bed. He asked me quietly," How are you feeling?"

I whispered," I wish everyone would stop asking me that."

Daniel said," I can't imagine what you are going through." I cleared my throat and he stopped talking about it which was what I wanted. I was getting tired of people always asking me how I was doing. Yes, I just has some random alien man place a ball of light into my head, but really, I'm tired of talking about it. Let's talk about something happy for once...but I think I'm the only one who thought this way.

We sat there for a minute in silence until I stood up from the bed asking," Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Some place important? Saving alien worlds?"

Daniel stood up and walked towards me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. He said," I really don't have anywhere else to be." I nodded. Teal'c opened the door to my room and it hit my head pretty hard. I grabbed my head, and Daniel grabbed me to help stabilize my balance as he asked," What is it, Teal'c?"

"Colonel Mitchell is requesting our presence in the Conference Room." With that he left. No apology or anything...jerk.

Daniel looked at me. I was holding my head because it still really hurt. Daniel continued to look at me and asked," Are you okay?"

I muttered," It hurts."

Daniel agreed," Yeah, it looked like he hit you pretty hard."

"No…it really hurts." I started to fall to the ground in pain. I saw so many things that I couldn't make out and I didn't understand what was going on. I could feel Daniel grab me before I hit the floor. I could see so many scary images, like what looked like two drones dressed in black armor that was impenetrable. After the vision ended, my body flinched for a second as my eyes flew open. I was gasping for air and Daniel was still holding me, cradling me, trying to figure out what just happened. I was trying to speak but Daniel just picked me up and carried me to the med lab.

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**A/N: I realize that this is a short chapter, however it is a necessary one. I didn't want to post too much story, and have you get lost. Stick with me, it will get better...I promise!**


	3. The Truth About Visions

The doctor took a look at me and said that my brain activity was way too high, so he tried to calm me down, but nothing worked. I explained to them what I had seen and they thought it was the after effects of what the old man did to me, not to mention all the stress that I had endured recently.

Soon afterwards, the gate activated and the alarms sounded. The Iris wouldn't close and soon, it opened and two black drones walked into the gate room and killed the men who were guarding it. Word came to us in the med ward of what just happened. Everyone looked at me like I was a freak and I didn't blame them. I didn't even know what to think.

Mitchell and Teal'c left to find the drones and they left Daniel to guard me. After a few hours had passed, guns were being shot near us. We could hear the battle right outside the med lab. Daniel said," It'll be fine. You're okay." I was wide-eyed and staring at the door. I didn't even want to know what would happen next.

Soon the gunshots stopped and everything was deadly quiet. I stared at the door, waiting for the next thing to happen. A soldier walked towards the door. The door flew open and it hit the guard so hard, it knocked him out.

One drone started towards Daniel and me. Daniel pulled a handgun out and fired a few rounds until the drone picked him up by the neck and threw him across the room. Daniel hit the far wall of the med lab, fell to the ground and didn't move, even when I screamed his name.

I looked at the drone as it grabbed me by the hair. It dragged me out of the bed and across the floor. I was screaming because it hurt to be dragged by the hair, and of course, I was freaking out that I was being taken hostage. When we reached the gate room, Teal'c had his staff weapon out and shot the drone, killing him.

Daniel had run into the room and saw that it was over. He bent down and untangled my hair from the drone's hand. He asked me softly with a hint of worry in his voice," Are you okay?" I nodded and wiped a tear off my face.

Mitchell waltzed in and announced," Drone two is also down. No more bad guys." Teal'c nodded silently.

In the infirmary, they asked me what had happened. I didn't know but the old man did. He explained again, only this time, everyone listened, not just me. I didn't have to listen this time because I lived it, now I understood why the old man handed me his gifts…he didn't want them anymore and I couldn't blame him.

After he told us the story, he said," Just listen to her when she has one…sometimes she will remember them, other times, she won't…but you need to listen…or it will be too late…" With that, the old guy just up and died.

I stood up and just left. I had a lot of things that I had to think about. Mitchell had to run to catch up to me. He spoke loudly before catching up," Have you had any others lately?"

I looked at him and said knowingly," Trust me, you'll know when I have one. I'll be the one screaming." I got to the elevator, pushed the button and waited.

He just nodded pondering out loud," I wonder how often you'll get them." I shook my head…personally I didn't want to know. I was hoping not that often…but the old man said, I had more gifts and they would be revealed in time…I was trying to figure out how painful those would be. That's when the elevator doors opened.

I stepped in. Mitchell didn't. He just said," Let me know if you have any others…" I nodded and the doors started to shut, that's when the second one came. Mitchell tried to get in to help me but the doors closed and up I went, crumpled in the corner, in pain, watching some hideous creatures suck the life out of people on a foreign planet. I knew what they were…I saw them before on the shows…it was the Wraith. The elevator stopped and the doors opened and there stood Teal'c. He saw me and quickly bent down to pick me up. He ran me to the infirmary.

I started to like the infirmary. I was always there, it felt like. Mitchell asked," What did you see?"

I tried to recall," I watched someone die…by a wraith." Daniel looked at me seriously and just left without saying a word. I looked at Teal'c and Mitchell and asked," What's with him?" They just shrugged.

I was sitting in my room, when there was a knock on my door. I shouted," Come in." The doorknob turned and the door opened. My eyes fell upon a familiar face.

Daniel walked in and stated," We've got you all packed and ready to go."

I looked at him confused and asked," Come again?"

Daniel stated," You're going to Atlantis."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Daniel explained," General Landry thinks it would be best for you to be there, if you're having visions of things happening over there, such as the Wraith."

"I don't understand...What would I do there?" I stammered.

Daniel approached me and said," I know that you must be completely scared, and I don't know what else to say to comfort you."

I looked up and met his blue eyes," I don't want to go, Daniel. I'm frightened."

"I know. But you'll be in good hands there...I tried to convince Landry to allow me to accompany you, but he refused," he stated sadly.

I sat there just dumfounded. I didn't know what else could happen, and before I could say another word, I looked up at him and tried to be as polite as I could," Thanks for everything, I-" Before I could finish, I was beamed into the ship that would take me to my new home…Atlantis.

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**A/N:**

**So, now she's on her way to Atlantis! Dun, dun, dun! Thoughts?**

** Again, I realize this is a short chapter. I'm probably going to have a few of them, but again, I don't want to overload you with too much story at once, and have you get lost, or not remember something. **


	4. Welcome to Alantis

**A/N: A special thank you to Motherduk for your comment! I hope that the next few chapters will be just as good to keep you hooked! **

**Without further ado, here is the latest chapter. **

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The trip was tiring and long, not to mention boring as hell. For some reason, the crew of the ship wouldn't allow me to roam the ship. I was allowed to go to the mess hall, infirmary and my room. So I stayed in my room for most of my long trip and that was fine, I mean I had a lot of thinking to do. As much as it would have been nice to roam a ship that was traveling through space, because let's face it, how often do you get that chance? So anyways, I sat in my room thinking. I was nervous because the Wraith in the show were horrible and deadly…and here I am, getting ready to fight them and show the Atlantis crew what I saw and I didn't think I was ready for that. Again, before I knew it and before I could say or do anything else, I was beamed right into Atlantis.

And there I stood, in the gate room of Atlantis, with people looking at me, and I just stood there, not knowing where to go or what to do. I felt like an idiot just standing there, wide eyed as a deer in headlights. Dr. Weir came around the corner and said with a warm voice," Welcome to Atlantis. We've heard so much about you…and we know why you're here. If there is anything we can do…"

I cut her off," I'm kind of tired…to be honest." I realized later how I had reacted here, but honestly, I was frustrated with the current events and how they were unfolding. I couldn't say good-bye to those that I met at the SGC, and I wasn't allowed to say good-bye to those on the ship, but you get the idea.

She smiled as she nodded," Of course. Teyla will show you to your room."

Teyla walked up to me and smiled warmly as she extended her arm to point me in the correct direction. I just walked wherever. I didn't have a clue where to go, but I eventually found my way and fell onto the bed, which was much softer here than in the SGC and passed out.

A few hours had passed and I got up. I started to make my way around my new home. I didn't see anyone so I figured it was late and everyone was in bed. I saw a balcony and walked out there to see the view.

It was beautiful, like nothing I had ever seen. There was water as far as the eye could see and nothing else…it was kind of depressing, but at the same time, comforting to know that there was nothing else but us. I heard a noise behind me and whirled around to protect myself, shouting," Ya!" I realized that I was standing in a position that would have made Mr. Miyagi happy.

There before me, stood a man, whom I assumed to be Ronon. Seeing the look on his face, after my little outburst, I asked," Did I just shout, ya?" He nodded and I continued," I didn't realize that my reflexes would have me believe that I'm a ninja when startled...I'm sorry."

He just nodded, clearly ignoring my comment or maybe he just didn't get the reference, as he walked up asking," What are you doing up at this hour?"

I stammered like an idiot," I-I-I- couldn't sleep…I uh…thought I would look around…"

He nodded again and leaned up against the railing of the balcony and looked out with me. He stated," I heard you're a Gifted."

I looked at him and asked," A what?"

He looked at me and repeated," Gifted. A person who has many abilities as well as the ability to see the future."

I shook my head," I'm no one special. I'm just a normal human." I looked out into the ocean and I knew he was still watching me.

Soon my head started to hurt. I rubbed it and before I knew it, rushing pain hit me so hard, I lost my balance and started to lean over the railing a little too far. Ronon grabbed my waist and pulled me away so I wouldn't fall off and plunge towards the waters below. He lowered me to the ground until my vision started to pass. I came to, gasping for air and shaking vigorously. Ronon demanded sternly," What did you see?"

I tried to talk as I grabbed his hand, trying to stand up, and that's when I found what one of my other "gifts" were. As I touched his hand, we both experienced the vision.

Freaked, I let go of Ronon's hand. He looked at me and tried to figure out what just happened. I was shaking still and not to mention embarrassed. I couldn't remember what the vision was about after that and I remember the old man saying I wouldn't remember sometimes. Ronon picked me up with ease and said," We have to tell the others." By the time we found someone, neither one of us could remember.

Weir asked," So you both experienced this…vision?" Ronon nodded. I just sat there, trying my best to remember what I couldn't. Weir saw that I was trying way too hard to remember, and thought that I would make myself sick, so she suggested," I think it would be best if you both got some rest. We can figure out what to do in the morning." I nodded and started to walk towards my room, still feeling the remnants of the mind-numbing vision.

In the empty hallway, waiting outside my room, was John Sheppard. I looked at him a bit confused as he looked in my direction. He announced," There you are!" I just nodded and opened the door to my room. He followed me in, asking," Are you alright?"

"Fine. Never better. I just had a freak migraine that I can't remember…but I'm fine. How are you?" I asked sarcastically as I plopped onto the soft bed, letting out a sigh of relief. These beds feel so much better than the ones in the SGC, I know I've said that already...but it's still true.

He sat down on my bed next to me and replied," I heard about that. So I was just thinking…you touched Ronon after it happened, right? And he saw and felt what you did…so I was thinking that maybe…"

I cut him off, knowing what was coming," You want me to show you what I can't remember?" He nodded. I sat up next to him, and sighed," I don't even know if anything will happen."

Before I could do anything, the spirit of the old man that passed the gifts to me, showed up. He spoke to the both of us," You both have a unique connection." With that, he just vanished. There was no explanation, not even an elaborated statement...he just threw out this riddle and disappeared. As usual, I was annoyed by the randomness that is this guy. I mean seriously, how hard could it be to actually state facts, but no...we have to speak in riddles and around bushes. God, I hate that man.

I was confused and muttered not very intelligently," Huh?"

John asked, pointing to where the man had appeared," Who was that? And what was he just talking about?"

I shook my head and explained," I don't know what he was talking about."

"But you know who he is?" he asked me.

I nodded and explained to him about the old man and how I came to be the freak person I am today. He sat there, a bit confused afterwards, but he sighed," I want you packed and ready to go tomorrow morning."

"Why? Where am I going now?" I asked frustrated.

He laughed and cleared up the confusion," You're not getting sent anywhere, but I want to take you with us on the mission." I nodded as he got up and left. I wasn't sure why he would want me to go with him on this mission, but I had nothing better to do, and frankly, it was boring to just sit and mope around.


	5. The Change

In the gate room, the next morning, we were all standing there waiting for the gate to open. Once it did, we walked through. It was my first time through and it was such an amazing feeling! It was almost like flying, yet feeling like you were weightless. On the other side, I stood there for a moment, taking it all in. Ronon came through behind me and asked after seeing me just standing there like an idiot," You alright?"

All I could do was just nod. I didn't say anything for a couple miles, as I was still just taking everything in, not to mention thinking about the past few days. Teyla was up front, walking next to John Sheppard, who was at least ten yards before me. I could see her talking to him and somehow, I was able to hear what she said, though they were so far in front. She told him," I think, maybe you should speak with her."

It was at that moment, that he looked over his left shoulder to look at me. He turned back to her, and asked," Who? Ricky?" Teyla just nodded.

I realized that it sounded pretty quiet around me, as if no one was near me. It was then that I looked around and noticed that Ronon was no longer walking behind me. He wasn't anywhere in the group. I stopped and didn't realize that the others continued walking without me.

I tried to find my way through the woods to find the others, but failed miserably. I looked around for tracks, thinking that perhaps I would make a good scout, which I was wrong and finally, just sat down, giving up. I figured that they would come for me…they had better come for me. I sighed heavily and looked around, taking in my surroundings.

The area was pretty. Tall old trees, and the smell of wilderness around. I inhaled deeply.

I noticed that suddenly, there were no birds chirping…which isn't a good sign, ever. I stood up and looked around in every direction, including up into the trees. Hey, I saw the shows, okay? I know that the Wraith can climb trees and such, I wasn't taking any chances. I have to admit, I got a little freaked out, so I ran. I didn't stop running until I came across a river, as it was pretty wide and deep, as rivers usually are.

I stood there and looked across the blue river. It was almost calm and inviting. I knelt down and began to drink from the cool water, which my parched throat thanked me for. As soon as the water quit moving from where my hand had scooped the water, I saw a reflection of a familiar old man standing behind me. Sighing and dropping the water, I stood up," What do you want old man?"

The elderly man stated," You are in danger."

I chuckled," Yeah? When am I never in danger?"

The man stated," You're going to be changing soon."

"Changing?" I asked," What does that mean?"

He disappeared before finishing again, which pissed me off, but I couldn't protest as I felt sick to my stomach. I keeled over onto the ground and started to have such horrible pains in my stomach, head, eyes…let's just say, everywhere. As I lay there, on the rocky ground, next to the rushing water, this alien man came running out of the foreign woods and leapt towards me.

I realize that by just saying "alien man", doesn't really give you much to go off of. It's hard to explain, but he looked scaly, like a lizard, his eyes looked as though they were ready to explode from his face and they were red, which kind of freaked me out. His tongue was split down the middle, again, almost as though he were a reptile. I didn't really try to stop and stare, but I could clearly tell that he wanted to kill me...I'm pretty sure, anyways.

I wasn't in the mood for this, mainly because I was in so much pain. He stood over me and suddenly, I couldn't see. The pain was gone, but I couldn't see…this was going to pose a problem. I acted as though I was still in pain, mainly because this reptile guy didn't seem to want to hurt me until I stopped screaming. I opened my eyes and quit pretending, thinking that perhaps I was wrong about him, and granted, that wasn't the brightest idea I've had yet, because everything was blurry and the man grabbed me and threw me into the river. He held me under the rushing water. I fought him, of course, but you know, after having a seizure moment, and becoming blind, you can't really do anything major, but I guess I didn't have to.

Sheppard shot the man in the back, making him fall into the raging river, which carried him downstream, away from us. John helped me out of the cold water. Drenched, I looked up at him. I could see finally! He asked concerned, looking at me up and down," You alright?"

Breathing in lots of air, I nodded. He looked at me funny, like I had suddenly grown two heads. So I asked," Am I alright?"

"Do you feel alright?" he countered, clearly ignoring the question.

"Yeah," I started," Do I look alright?" I started to panic, as he wasn't giving me anything to go off of and this conversation was quite taxing on my nerves.

John hesitated," Well…Nothing really out of the ordinary…"

I was confused at this point, but McKay came forward and looked at the two of us. He looked at me and shouted as if he were startled or just had his hand chopped off," My God! What happened to you?"

I looked back at Sheppard," Uh. What does that mean? What's wrong with me?"

McKay started to tell me," You're-"

John interrupted," Rodney!" McKay stopped.

I looked between the two," I want to know what the hell is wrong with me." The two just looked at me and said nothing. In fact, they looked like two kids who got caught stealing cookies from a cookie jar and trying to play it off. I was pissed…again.

Soon thereafter, Ronon and Teyla approached. They both said nothing, but had looks that made me sick to my stomach, mainly because I had no idea what it was for. "We should return to Atlantis," Sheppard stated rather quickly.

"Good idea," McKay replied promptly as they started to lead the group back through the woods. I was in the back of the group again, but this time, Ronon never left my side.

Before I started walking, I took that moment to look back, to see if the reptile man who attacked me was still around. There was nothing there but rushing river water. Ronon placed a large hand on my right shoulder. I walked away, not saying a word to anyone.

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**A/N: Thank you readers for continually reading this story. I've been working on a few different fanfiction stories, so forgive the delays in posting. I have 24 chapters for this story, (starting from the beginning) already written, so I decided that I'd continue with this one, as well as getting a few rather different genres moving as well. Be sure to look for them!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews/feedback are always welcome!**


	6. The Art of Avoidance

Back at Atlantis, we came through the gate. I just turned and walked to my quarters. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Everyone watched me as I left, I knew that, but I didn't care. I was still angry that no one was telling me the truth. What was I supposed to do? Blow it off? Did I have the word 'idiot' written on my forehead? I don't think so.

I walked to my room and in the safety of my own space; I just stripped the heavy gear off and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up a few hours later. I sat up, holding my stomach. I stood up, hearing my stomach grumble and made my way to the mess hall.

As I passed the infirmary, I overheard the group talking to Weir and Beckett. "She's not herself. She's different," John stated.

McKay added in his sarcastic truthful way," Did you not see her eyes? What is up with that? They're like bug eyes."

"Rodney!" Sheppard snapped angrily.

"Well…maybe not bug eyes, but they've definitely changed," McKay confessed. I stayed silent, but I heard Ronon shift. I knew, that he knew I was standing there, so I turned and left.

When I got to the mess hall, I started to eat. I didn't care what it was at this time, I was just hungry, and I hadn't eaten in a couple days. I don't know if it was because of the old man and his gifts or the gate or what…but I lost all will to eat…that was, until an hour ago. I was eating and looked up to see the group walk in. I lowered my head and said nothing to them. I saw them approaching me, so I just stood up and left, leaving my half-eaten dinner behind, suddenly no longer hungry. I wanted to be alone. I needed to think about a few things, and I knew where I could go that would give me some of that peace I was desperately needing.

I was lying on the floor of the familiar balcony, staring up at the star filled sky. I saw a shooting star and wished none of this had happened, but I knew that it was stupid to wish something like that, because nothing would change.

I knew it would get worse in time, with all the gifts that were soon to come. Suddenly, the door beside me opened and I saw Sheppard's boots walk towards me. He asked," Mind if I join you?"

I sighed," Whatever." He lay next to me. I didn't look over at him.

He started," Are you-"

"If you ask me that one more time, I swear, I'm gonna jump off this balcony," I stated firmly, through gritted teeth.

He stopped and replied," You've been distant since we got back. I was just making sure that you were okay."

"I'm fine…I think. I mean, after all, no one will tell me what is wrong with me. And no one will talk to me regardless…I'm fine," I replied standing up. Of course, I realized that I was wrong. No one could have talked to me, as I was doing a great job avoiding them. For some reason, it made it easier to blame them. I know, I know, that was wrong and quite unfair.

"Wait," he started.

"No, I'm fine. It's fine. I understand," I walked off.

On my way to my room, Ronon stopped me by getting in front of my path. I tried to walk around the tall man but he stepped in front of me again. After doing this a couple more times, I looked at him," What?" Irritation soaked my words. His face changed emotions when he looked at my eyes. "What is with you people? What is wrong with my eyes?" I asked angrily. I balled my fists, ready to punch something, and if Ronon wasn't careful, it would be him.

He stated calmly," They've changed."

"How?" I demanded.

He replied," Follow me." I stood there momentarily, watching him walk away. He stopped, turned around and asked," Are you coming?" I snapped back into reality and followed him, still clenching my fists.

He opened the door to his quarters and led me to his mirror. I looked into it and saw the changes. I blinked a few times, not sure I was seeing what I was seeing. My eyes changed from a dark brown to a metallic green and my pupils went from normal black circles to swirls that moved outwards to the whites. I looked at Ronon," Was this what everyone was seeing?"

"Not quite. Your eyes changed from brown to green last time we saw you," he stated.

I looked at the mirror," What do we do?"

Beckett flashed his little flashlight into my eyes a few times, blinding the hell out of me. "And you can see?" the Scottish doctor asked for the third time.

"Until a few minutes ago, yeah, I could," I stated in my smarty ass way.

Beckett apologized," I'm sorry. When did this happen?"

I shrugged, it's not like I had a mirror on me 24/7," I'm not sure. I did lose vision while we were on that mission…before my attack…I was feeling a lot of pain, all over my body, I lost my sight and then when it stopped, I was attacked."

John added," By what we thought was a man, who had been bitten by the iratus bug."

"How can you be sure?" Beckett asked.

"He was changed, like I was when Elia tried to feed off me," John stated.

Carson looked at me," Did he feed off you?"

I shook my head," I don't think so…he tried to drown me in the river, actually." Which to be honest, still didn't make sense to me. Why would someone with the ability to feed of others, choose to drown their victims first? Maybe there was something about me...well, that's an understatement.

Carson looked between the others and me," I don't think there's anything wrong. I think that with her gifts, her body's reconstructing itself, to adapt to the new gifts."

"Great…how many times will this happen?" I asked, not really wanting to know how often I'm going to be in excruciating pain.

Carson sighed," I'm not sure, my dear."

I sighed, partly annoyed, but mostly defeated," Can I go now?" With his nod, I was up and off that exam table, faster than a frog leaping from a lily pad . I didn't like this infirmary nearly as much as I seemed to at the SGC.

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**A/N: I know, this was a rather slow chapter. It will pick up soon...very soon. Promise. Thoughts? Reviews? Comments?**


	7. Footsteps in the Halls

I walked down the corridor towards my room. I just wanted to be left alone, in silence, but as I have learned in such a short time...that is never my luck. As I was walking, I saw the form of that annoying little old man, who passed his stupid gifts to me. I looked at him and asked a little louder than I had originally intended," You again! What do you want this time, old man?"

He looked at me with a distant look that I'd never seen before. It was almost serene," You've completed the change."

I thought about it for a moment and asked," So...I'm done with the pain you caused last time we met?"

He nodded," You are you...and in dan-"

I cut him off by raising my hand to silence him," I know, I'm in danger...again, I ask you, when am I never?" He disappeared. I was furious! I shouted this time, which to anyone in ear shot, probably thought I was insane, if they didn't already," What the hell? What is your problem with answering one damn question?" I sighed and continued to walk away, just to let off some steam.

I heard footsteps following me. I stopped and looked behind me but didn't see anything in the dark halls. I studied them carefully, just to be sure that I was really alone...I mean, after the attack at the river...I was a little jumpy. I turned and bumped straight into Ronon.

Before I could protest his little surprise, he clasped his giant hand over my mouth and pulled me out of the hall. I'm not sure why, but I fought him a little, which was pretty amusing for me, because he was clearly annoyed with me for that, which...like I said, put me into a better mood knowing I wasn't the only one pissed about something. He whispered into my ear with so much anger," Stop it! They'll hear you!" Those words caused my blood to run cold through my body. I froze completely.

He held onto me, which I am thinking was to keep me from running or something. Suddenly, I heard footsteps...the same footsteps that I heard before the surprise visit from Ronon. They started to pick up in speed...almost as if they were running. Ronon's grip tightened around me, which made me really nervous. From our little hiding spot, we saw something big zip past us. It was then, that I was released from Ronon's grip.

I looked at him and stated the obvious," It passed us." Ronon looked out into the hall. I asked," What was that? It was huge!"

He looked back at me and stated," We need to get you to your quarters."

Confused, I asked," Why? It's not like that's the safest place for me...or is it? Will that thing not look for me there...if it's me that it's looking for?"

Ronon looked around and in his own special way said," It's not safe here."

"Thanks for stating the obvious there, buddy...but you didn't answer any of my questions!" I was getting pretty annoyed. Ronon just rolled his eyes, grabbed my arm and started pulling me to my feet, despite my protesting.

By the time we arrived at my quarters, the doors were already caved in and upon looking into the room, everything was ajar. Again, the obvious was spoken by Ronon," They've been here." I shook my head and sighed. He ignored my actions and ordered," Follow me."

I stood there for a moment and asked," What is going on?" Ronon started to approach me and he looked like he was going to drag me, like he did before, which was getting old. I pulled away repeating myself," What do you know? Tell me, what is going on...please!"

Ronon withdrew his hand and stated," There is a wraith here...it's looking for you."

I sucked on part of my inner cheek and questioned him," So, what are we going to do?"

He looked at me, clearly annoyed," Get you some place safe."

"Yes...because that is the best plan!" I said too loudly. Ronon practically glared at me. I softened my voice and stated," I am just so sick of all of this...stop protecting me like I'm this little...doll. I want to do something...not run all the damn time!"

Ronon walked up to me and stated in a dark tone," You have no idea what happens to the Gifted, when they are feasted upon by the Wraith, do you?" I couldn't help but back away from him in fear, but I didn't get too far because of the stupid pillar behind me. He towered over me, striking more fear into my very being," They will make sure that you suffer a long and painful life, because you are Gifted. You cannot age, you cannot die...an infinite food supply...eventually, they will take away your gifts...they will absorb them too." I was scared, not so much by what he was saying, but the fact that it was coming from him...my silent protector...and I had never heard him say things like this before, or even, with this tone of voice. I could feel his hot breath falling onto my already cold goose bumped skin. He looked at me and said with a softer voice," I hate to be the one to say it, but that's the truth...now...shall we get some place safer?" He pulled away from me and I followed this time, without the attitude.

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**A/N: And now, it begins to pick up just a little bit. Let me know what you think!**


	8. Confronting the Wraith

We reached the gate room, which I thought was a stupid place to be. I didn't feel safe there by any means, and wouldn't this Wraith come here, to the central command center? I wasn't a military person, but that was what I would do...but hey, what the hell do I know?

McKay stated," We could try and track it on the systems, but I am not sure how accurate that would be."

"Why not?" Sheppard asked.

"Because Colonel...depending on how many people it's already fed upon, it could start showing up as human energy readings," McKay stated with his irritated, brainy voice.

Weir asked, in her calm and annoyingly neutral voice," So what do we do?"

There was a brief moment of silence. I cleared my throat and said something that I wish I never said," I could be bait. I mean, it's after me...so we ambush him. Set him up...I get myself cornered into a room, where you guys come out, with guns blazing to save me." I swallowed.

I was really hoping that someone...especially Ronon, would say no and that it was a stupid idea...but because my luck is never that good, Weir asked everyone," Would that work?"

McKay stated," I could easily track her on the systems."

Ronon nodded and Sheppard stated," We could set ourselves up in the observatory to ambush this thing, with Teyla as backup."

I sighed and clarified," So...we have a plan..."

Weir looked at me with concern," Are you sure you want to do this?"

I had my moment to back out of this stupid plan...that I came up with...but no, I had to say," Yeah...it's the only way." Weir must have known that I didn't want to do this, but again...I've seen the shows. I used to get annoyed at people like McKay, for suggesting something and then backing out. I stood up straight," So...which room am I running to?"

Dumb...dumb idea...I thought for sure that my legs would give out while I was running for my life. The one thing that I hate about the great hearing that I picked up from the infuriating old guy, is that I could hear everything! I could hear the Wraith's breathing, hissing, running and his stupid laugh...such a stupid laugh...I'm still trying to figure out why he was laughing in the first place. If I wasn't running or scared for my life, I would have asked, but...again, not the time.

I ran as fast as I could and entered the room in which I was supposed to go. I didn't hear the footsteps anymore. I looked around in all directions, again...because, I was waiting for him to pop up from some place that he wasn't there before. I looked over and saw Sheppard hiding in the place that he said he'd be. I couldn't see Teyla or Ronon, but then again, they were always better at hiding than us, normal humans. Then it happened.

The freaking Wraith dropped down from the floor above me. Now it made sense as to why he was laughing...he wasn't behind me. He was following me from up above. Jerk. He picked me up by my neck and with such force, he slammed me against the pillar that was closest to us. My head hit so hard, I thought I was losing consciousness right then. He spoke, in his grotesque voice," I will make sure that you live as long as possible, before I suck every bit of life from your fragile body."

I could just see Ronon giving me that 'I told you so' look from wherever he was...which only frustrated me. I looked at the Wraith and gasped the words," Well...I hope you enjoy pain."

The Wraith lowered me slightly, but my feet were just barely grazing the floor and raised his hand. He was going to eat me right there...I was pissed. What was taking everyone so long to save my ass? Where were you guys...playing cards?

Right before he lunged his hand at my chest, there were multiple gun bursts coming towards us. He still held onto me as he turned. Great, I thought...he was going to use me as a shield...I was done for. Then when I thought I would be riddled with holes from the guns, Ronon lunged at the Wraith and all of us, were now on the floor. Once I hit the ground, I rolled a little and my luck had improved slightly, because right next to me, was Ronon's gun. Unfortunately, my luck wasn't all that great, because I couldn't use it because it was imprinted with his DNA.

I looked up and saw Sheppard trying to get a shot in, but didn't have an opening. Ronon was engaged in a hand to hand battle with this Wraith. For a split moment, I remembered that the creature that was following us in the corridor before, was much, much bigger than this Wraith. Another thing that I failed to remember, was that Wraith have the ability to make you see what they want you to...I'm a moron!

Ronon was thrown across the room...towards me. He collided with me, knocking us both to the floor. When the heavy man got off me and I grabbed his muscled arm before he went back out there to keep fighting. He looked at me with the look of annoyance, because I was keeping him from battle. I placed his gun into his hand. His look changed. He didn't even falter. He fired the gun and hit the Wraith, but I couldn't see where.

Again, my luck...not that great. The Wraith was injured, but it didn't slow him down. Ronon, was now tossed to the other side of the room and the Wraith grabbed me. I kept asking myself who's brilliant plan this was...then I remembered that it was mine...dumb, dumb person.

The Wraith slammed his alien hand onto my chest and started to feed on me...I had a sudden realization, that made me sick to my stomach. I was healing him. I have never felt pain that bad before...not even the visions were that painful! I screamed so loudly that I was sure that McKay was getting goose bumps from the command center.

Sheppard and Ronon fired their guns practically simultaneously, because I felt the burning sensation fade away. The Wraith stood up again. I realized that I couldn't die, and that meant, I healed. I shouted the obvious to Ronon," He's healing now! It's because of me! He won't die!" I'm not sure if this was true, but it couldn't hurt mentioning. Maybe I thought he had taken a gift from me...either way, I knew that this was going to be a long fight, and maybe it wouldn't end well for us...or at least, me.

Ronon must have already thought the same thing, because he had pulled out his sword and charged the Wraith. Sheppard had shot him a few times to slow the thing down, so Ronon could actually get there. Teyla came to me out of nowhere and shouted," Come! We must get you out of here!"

"What about them? We can't leave them!" I shouted pointing to the guys, still being tossed around like dolls.

She explained calmly," They will be fine...you cannot stay here for it to feed upon!" She had a point but I hated to hear the facts. I pushed her away and picked up what looked to be a Wraith knife of some kind. I'm not sure how long it had been there, but I didn't care. I picked it up, and looked up at the scene before me.

Ronon was all over the Wraith, swinging his sword like some barbarian. It reminded me of some Kill Bill movie. He was just hacking away at the beast, but to no avail. Once I saw that Ronon was pinned against the wall and that the Wraith was ready to kill him, I charged.

I ran up to the Wraith, with this alien knife and plunged it into it's back. The wail that came from that thing, hurt my ears. I let go of the knife and grabbed my ears, screaming. The Wraith turned so quickly, with his arm out and hit me, sending me flying towards Sheppard.

We fell to the floor hard. Ronon was the one who ended it all. He grabbed the blade once more and attacked the creature...killing it for good. The last thing I heard before I passed out, was the Wraith wailing until I heard the last breath come out. Then, there was nothing but black.

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**A/N: Thank you to all of you who have been following this story and providing feedback! Sorry it's taken me a while to update. Hopefully, this is enough to wet the palette and keep you coming back for more! **


	9. Danger Lurking in the Dark

Let me just say this; I have no idea how long I was out, or what had happened to everyone else but I woke up in the infirmary, by myself. The room was dark, without a soul. I sat up in the bed and looked around. I listened for any sound. Very faintly, I could hear a few people talking, but I couldn't make out exactly who it was, so...what do I do? I get up to find out.

I stood in the doorway and listened again. Finally, I could hear Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Weir talking with Beckett. Beckett spoke first," She's stable at least, whatever this Wraith did to her, it's altered her DNA again. It's almost as if a part of her is missing."

Weir asked," So what do we do now? Send her back to Earth?" I was so confused...why did they want to get rid of me? From what I gathered from Beckett's comment, he was just stating that my DNA changed again when the Wraith fed off me. That's no reason to ship me back to Earth.

Ronon stated," I don't think it will matter much right now where she is."

Sheppard spoke up this time," My concern isn't so much her, as it is the Wraith...how long do you figure it will take that thing to gather itself back together? Or how long do you figure will it take the others to come here after her?" I was lost by this point because I was still stuck on the fact there is a Wraith that needs to put itself back together?

I didn't get it... McKay stated," Regardless of the ifs or whens, the problem still remains...what are we planning on doing with her?" I had enough. I knew that they were not anywhere near me, because they still sounded distant, so I walked out of the infirmary and towards my quarters. I was going to pack, because clearly, they were hard set on getting me as far away from Atlantis as possible. If that is what they want, then fine. I'll leave.

In my room, I packed all of my belongings, which wasn't much and tried to figure out a way to travel back home, to Earth. It was apparent to me, that no one wanted me here and I wasn't going to argue. I threw the backpack over my shoulders and started towards the command center. I figured I could ask someone to call the Asgard, to send me home...it was the only logical thought that had made sense. I walked around the corner and low and behold, there was the old man...I'm going to start calling him Tom, because I haven't a clue to his name and I tire of calling him 'old man' each time I cross paths with him...which is a lot.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes," Let me guess, Tom...I'm in danger."

He nodded," You cannot leave here...not yet. There is much left for you to do."

"Yeah, I understand that Tommy-boy, but listen, no one wants me here. So tell me, what am I supposed to do?" I was getting frustrated...why was I listening and arguing with a dead guy?

He looked at me and replied," I know that you must be getting tired of this, but you must understand that there is much you are still learning from all of this and you are going to be in more danger by going home than staying here, under the protection you have."

I heard footsteps behind me and as I turned to look, there was no one there, but the sounds were growing louder. I scoffed," What now?" I turned to face Tom, but he was already gone. I heard what I thought was a deep growl, so I turned around again. I squinted to try and see through the dark. Suddenly, the light reflected from the beast's eyes. I made a snap decision...I ran.

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**A/N: This is a very short chapter, I have noticed...but well worth it, not only from a future storyline standpoint, but so that you're not left with too much in one sitting!**

**Still liking it thus far?**


	10. The Tracker Attacks

Have you ever had a moment in your life, where you thought you were going to die? That seems to be the moral of my life story these days. I cannot seem to remember a day, when I wasn't getting attacked or chased. I knew that, at this moment, I'd be in shape...I was getting plenty of exercise these days. So I ran down the corridors, like a bat out of hell and realized that I wasn't running into very many people.

I ran towards the gate room and as soon as I started towards the center of the room, the beast jumped me. I felt the large sharp claws dig into my shoulders and back as it knocked me to the hard floor...face first. I screamed, hoping that someone would hear me and save my sorry ass, yet again. I felt the bag on my back getting shredded by the beast's glistening teeth as it tried to get to me.

I heard the mechanical whir of Ronon's gun right before the blast came. It hit the beast, which stopped him from shredding my pack, but it wouldn't get off me...I looked up and saw Ronon standing on the stairs that led up to the command station. He fired his gun a couple more times, hitting his target right on, causing the creature to fall onto it's side a few inches away from me.

Suddenly, the Stargate activated. The blast of water came out, vaporizing just part of my shredded pack, but I remained motionless...because I knew what would happen if I jumped up or moved in the slightest. As soon as the gate was established, to who knows where, the beast-dog circled me a few times as I started to scoot back towards Ronon, and it jumped into the gate as it closed.

Ronon rushed to my side, grabbed my right shoulder and pulled me up to my feet. I looked at him and said softly and a bit shaky," Thank you..." I must have been trembling pretty badly because he thought I was cold, as he began rubbing his hands up and down my arms, as if to warm me up. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at his confusion. It could be that he was comforting me too, but who really knows when it comes to Ronon?

Sheppard appeared at the top of the stairs and asked," What the hell was that?"

Ronon explained," It was a tracker. A wraith dog...could have been sent here before the Wraith or after...either way, it's gone." I looked back at the gate and prayed that I would never have to see that thing again, but yet again, I started wishing for things that I knew would never happen.

I had walked to my room solo. After all the excitement, we figured that the place was clean. I started to strip off the clothes that was starting to smell and I am pretty sure, that if I hadn't started to clean myself up a little, my clothes would have started to stand up on their own...but as soon as the shirt came off, was the moment I saw the wound.

I must not have felt the Wraith beast-dog sink his claw or teeth into me because there was something sunk down into my left shoulder blade. I touched it...and boy, did it hurt like a mother-...I gagged.

Suddenly, I felt like I was going to throw up and I was getting dizzy as well as weak. It seemed like I couldn't stand up on my own anymore. I had to lean against the wall for a second. At that very moment, I knew that I had to get to the infirmary...my all-time favorite place. I stumbled towards my door and opened it. No sooner did the door open, was Ronon standing there about to knock on it. He looked down at me, and saw the wound. He caught me as I fell...and that is all I remember.

Once again, I woke to see the light shining in my face. I was in my usual bed in the infirmary. I felt no pain and so, I sat up. I looked around and saw the group sitting around Carson's desk. The really weird thing was that I couldn't hear anything that was being said. I cleared my throat, but no one seemed to hear me. I jumped off the bed and walked towards them. I asked," So what's wrong with me this time?"

Carson spoke as if I were not even standing there," She's stable, that in itself is a good thing."

Weir asked," So, this is caused because of that claw you pulled out?"

Carson nodded," It appeared to have been laced with some sort of Wraith chemical. I'm not exactly sure what it is yet...I'm still analyzing it, but it's done some serious damage already."

"Damage? What damage?" I asked, slightly panicked. I mean, I felt fine, so what damage could there really be? Besides, I had super human healing...right?

Sheppard looked over and questioned," What do we do?" Before anyone could say a word, the machines behind me started going crazy.

Carson shot up and ran past me. He shouted," Code Blue! She's going into cardiac arrest! Bring the paddles!"

Suddenly, there were several people surrounding the table to help this person. Of course, everyone else seemed more interested with this person because they all walked closer to observe. I followed and stood next to Ronon. I asked," So what's going on? I can't see anything." Ronon looked like he was upset. I tried to get a good look at what was happening, but to no avail.

Carson was shouting orders and then the monitor's beeping started to normalize. He let out a heavy sigh and thanked the people who rushed in to help. As soon as people started moving, Carson said," She's stable again...not sure for how much longer though...whatever it is that is moving through her system, it's starting to kill her."

"Kill who?" I asked annoyed. Then, once everyone was out of the way, I stared at the girl on the table...the girl on the table was me.

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**A/N: Thank you, flyingdocbrett for your review! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story!**

**I've noticed that there are a lot of you reading, and I'm floored! **

**I hope this chapter will keep you coming back for more!**

**Thoughts? Reviews?**


	11. Ronon's Poltergeist

So, I stood there for a long time, staring at...well, me. Honestly, I didn't look so good. I looked like I was dying. I watched people come in, talk about me, and leave. Beckett tried several things to try and save me, but nothing really seemed to affect me the way I needed it to.

After a while, I got bored waiting on them to come up with something to save me. I walked out of the infirmary and towards the gate room. I needed to hear about the plans outside of the infirmary. I knew that Sheppard and Weir were coming up with a plan somehow, and I wanted to know what that was.

As I walked, I heard several people talking about my condition. I heard all sorts of things from being a lost cause to getting better, but I knew that wasn't true...either one. I turned down the corridor towards the gate room, and saw McKay and Ronon talking. They were heading in the same direction as me, so I ran to catch up to them.

McKay spoke in a hushed voice," There is nothing we can do. She's dying-"

Ronon snapped at McKay, glaring at him," I know she's dying! You have to do something! We can't just sit back and do nothing. Run tests on the poison that Beckett pulled out of her!"

McKay replied almost in a hysterical tone," What am I? Answer man? I can't just run a simple test! Her whole body is affected...we don't know what is going on with her! Her DNA has completely re-written itself!"

That surprised me. I blurted out," What? My DNA is re-writing itself? How the hell is that possible?" It was pointless to comment, because they couldn't hear me, and stupid me, forgot that part for a split second and I reached out to grab McKay's right shoulder, to stop him and demand answers, when my hand passed right through him. I looked at my hand as I stopped dead in my tracks. Suddenly, it hit me. I couldn't be heard, nor could they feel me. I felt useless.

During my moment of realization, Ronon and McKay finished their argument and Ronon started to storm towards me. I didn't bother stepping out of the way. I figured that it wasn't like he'd knock me over or I'd interfere with his path, but when he passed through me, he stopped cold. He turned and I swear our eyes met. He kept looking at me for a moment or two. I looked at him, and slowly approached him," You felt me...didn't you? You can sense me!" I suddenly felt very giddy with glee. That's when Ronon shook the feeling from his very being, as he started back on his path...away from me. And now, the giddy feeling is gone.

I tried the same thing with other people. No one seemed to have the same reaction that Ronon did. I came up with a plan. I had to get Ronon to realize that I was still here in presence. They couldn't give up on me. I started to look for him in all the normal places I could think of, but unfortunately, I couldn't find him at all. I sat down on the steps of the gate room, waiting for teams that were on missions off world, thinking he'd gone with them. I sat there for hours, waiting. People kept walking through me, and it was getting rather annoying. I protested a couple of times, but remembered that it was pointless, especially since they couldn't hear me, and in reality, it's not like they could see me anyways.

I sat there all afternoon. I lost count of how many teams came through the gate, and none of them, had Ronon with them. Suddenly, a conversation grabbed my attention," We have some coordinates of where that Wraith dog went." I stood up and practically ran up the stairs to hear more of the conversation.

Lorne was explaining to Weir and Sheppard about this newest discovery. "We could track this creature straight to the Wraith camp that we've located through our Puddle Jumper. It's not too far from the gate, and we could eliminate the threat."

"What do you mean threat?" Weir questioned.

Lorne cleared his throat and explained," The reason the gate's been so active, is because they keep trying to connect to us. Rodney has managed to block that address temporarily." I stood there watching them discuss the possibility to go and annihilate this group of Wraith that had put me on my death bed and was wondering why this was even a question. If it were me, I'd be there, kicking the crap out of them all, but I knew that Weir was different. She wouldn't just say yes, she had to think about it until the very last possible second.

As they were talking, I looked over and saw Ronon walking through the gate with a small team of scouts. It was silly, but I'd never been so excited to see someone before, until today. I ran down the stairs of the control room, into the gate room and walked up to Ronon. He walked off towards his quarters. I followed.

For some reason, I kept talking to him. Maybe I thought that if I talked to him, he'd eventually hear me. "You can't give up on me, Ronon! I know you felt me the other day. You have to figure out a way to save me...I don't want to die...and I can feel it. And this is different then the feeling I had when that dog beast thing attacked me." I started to remember that Wraith-dog. If it were up to me, I would have called it a giant wolf, as it was bigger than a dog. The size of the teeth and claws, were longer than my fingers, as my shoulder could attest to that. I shuddered just thinking about that stupid creature and the attack.

I walked behind Ronon and he suddenly stopped in front of his door, and before he opened it, he looked over his right shoulder at me. I was now intrigued. He opened his door and walked into his room. I followed, and of course, the door closed in on me. That was a feeling, I'd rather not repeat. I stepped through and shook the feeling away. Ronon stripped his dirty shirt off and threw it across his room with such anger. It startled me a little. I watched his movements and he was very angry about something, I was hoping that it was my situation. He sat down at the foot of his bed and placed his head in his hands.

I approached him warily. I'm not sure why, it wasn't like he could hurt me or anything. He sighed heavily and I reached out my hand and tried to touch his head. My hand passed through and I pulled back, realizing that I had once again, forgotten that I couldn't physically touch people. His head jerked up and he looked around his room. I knelt down in front of him, meeting his eyes," You know I'm here...you can feel me..." I passed my hand through his leg to test my theory. He stood up quickly. I followed in suit. He grabbed a clean shirt, put it on, and left his room. I sighed in a frustrated manner but followed.

I have never followed or stalked anyone, but I felt like I was doing just that, with Ronon. Looking back on it, I think it was justified, especially since he was the only one who could feel or sense my presence. It was pretty lonely, not having someone who could. He marched straight for the gate room. He got there, but before he could say anything, Beckett's voice echoed through the speaker in the control room," Sheppard, Weir, you better get down here."

Suddenly, my whole being hurt. I felt like I was being ripped apart by dogs. I clutched my stomach and fell to the ground screaming in pain. Weir and Sheppard took off towards the infirmary, and Ronon stepped through me, and stopped. I was on the ground, in pain, looking up at Ronon through tear filled eyes. He looked around as if he were looking for me, at least that was my hope.

Sheppard shouted," Ronon! Let's go!" He hesitated for a brief moment, but he left as ordered, leaving me on the ground in pain, and quite possibly dying.

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**A/N: Another chapter for my loyal readers! There are so many of you, it's crazy!**

**Things are about to pick up, and I'm hoping you stick around to see what else is coming!**

**Thoughts, reviews and comments are welcome!  
**


	12. Becoming Whole Again

Eventually, the pain subsided and I managed to get down to the infirmary. Let me just state for the record, that once you've seen yourself lying on a table, watching yourself die, your personality changes. I am not sure how long I was there on the floor in pain, but I know that I saw so many people walk through me. It must have been a few hours, but I managed to get to the infirmary with no other major issues.

As I walked in, my whole body looked sickly white...and that wasn't good. Beckett must have just finished up with me and telling the others what had happened. Weir asked Sheppard," Do you think it's a good idea to go to this planet? Is there even an antidote?"

Sheppard crossed his arms," It's worth going there to wipe them out if anything, and we might just find an antidote. Like Beckett said, she's dying from some kind of bacterial infection left behind by their stupid dog." Stupid dog is right! I shuddered just thinking about that dog...

Weir hesitated, but said eventually," All right. You'll head out in ten minutes. If anything...and I mean anything, happens, you get back here, do you understand?" Sheppard nodded. Both he and Ronon left. Weir looked at Beckett," Do you think she'll survive if they bring back an antidote?"

Beckett shook his head grimly," I don't know. She's dying pretty rapidly. Her body isn't even feeling pain at this point."

I laughed," Bullshit, my body isn't feeling pain! I felt it...for hours!" When they didn't say anything else, but stood there as they watched me die, I left to catch up with the team. I figured that it was a better use of my time to be around Ronon, who could sense me, when no one else could.

My second time through the Stargate was definitely an experience that I will not likely forget. It was almost like falling at the speed of light. Everything was weightless and a blur...it was better than sex. On the other side, the feeling went away, almost as quickly as it came. I had to sit down for a second, I was dizzy. Something back home at Atlantis was wrong. I knew that it wasn't much longer before I was history.

Ronon happened to look over at my direction. Looking up at him, I asked," Can you hear me yet? Do you see me or something...I know, you know I'm here."

Sheppard shouted over to him," Ronon! Let's move out!" The gate disconnected and he still stood there looking at me. "Ronon! You see something?" Sheppard shouted again.

Ronon shook his head and made his way to the rest of the group. I stood up, and tried to shake the feeling of disappearing. We walked for a ways, but suddenly stopped dead in our tracks. I'm not sure why, but when everyone else lowered themselves for cover, and I did the same. I couldn't help it, I followed what they did because I wanted to live...though at this point, I guess it didn't matter.

We watched this small band of Wraith in their camp. They built something that looked like an alter. I overheard Sheppard asking Ronon or McKay what it was. I was drawn to it for some reason. I stood up and walked towards it. With my super hearing, I could still hear some of their conversation, which was weird, since I couldn't use my super hearing skills before. McKay was babbling on about this thing, and Ronon had stopped talking. I reached the alter and looked over my left shoulder. I saw Ronon looking directly at me. I knew he couldn't see me, but I knew, he sensed my presence and I am pretty positive that he was trying to figure out what the hell I was doing. I turned my attention back to this thing. It looked like some sort of torture device, the more I examined it.

I heard Tom's voice in my head telling me to get out of there. Suddenly, I was afraid. Wraith started to gather around this machine and my instincts told me something horrible was going to come my way. So I ran.

I remembered where the gate was, thankfully. I started to relax a little bit as I walked through this large empty grass field, and as I walked, the ground started to feel more real and the smell of the planet seemed really clear. I stopped and looked down at my hands. They started to seem more like my body. I was feeling like I was in one of those dreams, where you're falling, and right before you wake up, you land in your body that is sleeping in your bed...then you wake up. I had that falling sensation, then suddenly, I felt alive again. I felt my heart beating, and I took in a deep breath. My super human hearing was working; I was me again! It was a miracle! Then I heard the Wraith standing behind me. I turned around, and he was looking at me, almost in shock to see me. My miracle would have to wait.

I knew that running would kill me. So I tried a different approach. I started to talk," Hi...how are you doing? Sorry, I took a wrong turn. I'm not supposed to be here."

The Wraith took a step forward, and I took one backwards in perfect sync. The Wraith hissed and smelled deeply, the air around me," I will feast upon-"

Stupid me, interrupted him," A feast? That sounds lovely! What is the feast today? I really should be going so that you can enjoy that." Before I could run away, the Wraith seized my right arm and whirled me around to face him. He lowered his ugly face so closely to mine and took in another deep breath. I didn't dare move, but this Wraith started to almost nuzzle his face against my face. He pulled back and started to drag me towards the camp. I suddenly shouted," Why would you go back to camp to share me with the others?"

The Wraith stopped and looked at me. I continued," You know...if you share me, the others might not be so kind with their finds... so why don't you just do it here?" The Wraith suddenly seemed to enjoy what I was saying. He hissed and started to raise his left hand up to feed on me. I closed my eyes and waited.

When nothing happened, I opened my left eye. The Wraith looked at me, lowered his hand and chuckled. He released my arm. I opened both of my eyes and looked at him, confused. He explained," I want you to run. Run. Hide. I will kill you." It dawned on me. He wanted to play with his food. I started to back up, and he was following me in suit. I turned and ran through the grass field as fast as I could.

As I ran, I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for the Wraith to start chasing me, but he didn't and I didn't want to slow down for him either. I figured that I needed the head start. I heard the screeching sounds echoing towards me. I knew he was in pursuit, as well as alerting any and all other Wraith that were in the area. I ran faster. Unfortunately for me, my luck had run out. I tripped. I fell. I stood up and tried to run, but I was grabbed from behind and tossed back where I came from.

I landed on the hard ground, on my back and there were three Wraiths standing over me. I don't know if they were trying to decide who would eat me first, but I didn't like the way they were staring down at me. I closed my eyes and prayed for Sheppard or Ronon to come and save me.

I'm not sure what happened, but it happened pretty quickly. First, I was praying, then the next, Wraith one was down. Things started to happen in slow motion almost. Wraith two tried to run, but was taken down and Wraith three tried to reach for me, and he was killed, and fell down next to me. I kept my eyes tightly closed. I didn't want to see who saved me, nor did I want to try to move, in case whoever it was had an itchy trigger finger. I heard footsteps approaching me, then they stopped. "You planning on sleeping there forever?" I heard someone say. I opened my eyes, and saw McKay, Sheppard, and Ronon standing over me.

I smiled and stood up. I hugged Sheppard, mainly because he was closer, and then moved on to McKay, who tensed at my touch, and finally, Ronon. I asked almost in a giddy voice," You can see me? How did you find me?"

Sheppard ignored my question," More importantly, how did you get here? How are you even alive?"

I shrugged," I guess you found something."

McKay spoke up," We had a transmission from Atlantis saying that your body disappeared. We were heading back to find you, and we did...just here..."

I asked," Maybe it had something to do with that alter thing back there."

McKay grumbled something under his breath as he walked up to the DHD to dial back to Atlantis. Ronon walked with him and I looked at Sheppard as he whispered," I heard you."

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"I heard you, praying for me," he said very smoothly.

I blinked," You heard me?"

He smiled," You were praying pretty loudly...it was deafening, actually."

I stopped," Did anyone else?"

He shrugged," I figured that was what your dead guy meant by we have a connection."

"I guess...that's a weird connection, though." I started to walk with him," Thanks for saving me." He nodded and the gate was open. We watched the other two walk through and we followed.

Upon walking through the gate and arriving at Atlantis, we were greeted by Weir and Beckett. When they saw me walk through with Sheppard, their eyes were ready to explode and their mouths dropped. I couldn't help but smile. Weir whispered to Beckett," Looks like you were right."

"About what?" I asked aloud.

Beckett cleared his throat," I noticed in one of your blood samples, that your DNA started to disappear. When I went to check up on you, I watched you vanish from the infirmary. My guess is that they did this on purpose, expecting you to do exactly as you did, but they were not expecting Colonel Sheppard, Rodney and Ronon."

I nodded and explained," I'm sorry for following the team...but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to sit around, watching me die."

Weir smiled kindly," Don't worry about it, Ricky. It's in the past, and you're lucky to be alive. I think that we should all rest and start anew tomorrow."

I liked that plan. I smiled in agreement, and as everyone else walked away, Beckett asked me to come to the infirmary to have a check up, to make sure I wasn't going to disappear on them, again. I thought it was a good idea, so I followed.

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**A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get uploaded! Things have been crazy busy! Thank you for all the comments, views and reviews! Thank you to Barbara Tiitto for keeping up on the story and looking forward to each chapter! I hope this one was just as good! Keep a look out for more chapters, and if you haven't seen the newest fanfic story that I've uploaded a couple days ago, check it out! I'm always looking for feedback!**


	13. Poor Choice of Words & Rocks

Once the check up was complete and all traces of the infection were gone, I headed towards my room. It was weird; everyone looking at me. I knew that I was a different person than from when I first came here, but I was beginning to like the new me...freak migraines and all. I turned the corner and went to open my door, but it opened before I touched the console.

Ronon was standing in the doorway to my room. I looked up at him startled," What are you doing here...and in my room?"

He looked uncomfortable, as if he got caught doing something horribly wrong, but said," I'm sorry. I was waiting for you, but you took too long. I was leaving."

"What do you mean you were waiting for me? I took too long? I was getting my ass examined!" Not the best use of words on my part, but Ronon graciously ignored them.

He clarified," Your tests took too long."

"What? Make sense!" I glared at him. He smiled and I realized that he enjoyed getting a rise out of me. Sighing, I walked past him and into my room. He turned and re-entered. I looked at him," What?"

He smiled playfully," What do you mean, what?"

"I'm not playing around, Ronon. Say what you wanted to say and leave before I-"

He cut me off," Before you what? Pray for Sheppard to come and save you?" he laughed, and added in a more serious tone," You're weak."

"And you're an ass!" I spat the words out with such hate, as I sat down on the bed and began to untie my boots.

He kept his stupid grin on his face, but changed the subject matter entirely, taking his smile with him," You were following me, weren't you?"

I looked up from untying my boot," You felt me, didn't you?"

He nodded and approached me," I could hear you sometimes, too."

"You could?" I dropped the boot on the floor.

"It was very faint, almost a whisper, but I could hear you. You kept asking me if I could see or hear you...I couldn't answer you, because I didn't know who or what was listening," he was speaking very seriously.

"Why didn't you mention this to anyone? Did you see me at all?" I asked, almost annoyed.

He shook his head," I didn't see you, but like I said, I felt you."

At this point, I was getting annoyed by his beating around the bush syndrome that he seemed to be suffering from," What does that even mean?"

"Your presence was very strong. I knew when you were around me. When I left on that mission, I didn't feel your presence anymore, but as soon as I came back to Atlantis, it was almost as if you were waiting for my return. On the planet with the Wraith, you practically flickered into view when you were standing near that alter. But I thought that it was just an illusion...until Sheppard heard you inside his head," Ronon explained calmly.

I nodded. I was just glad to be alive, and I knew that I didn't have to explain that to him.

Ronon stood up and said," Well. You must be tired. I'll let you rest and I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled as the doors closed behind him.

Several quiet weeks had passed with no major issues. I didn't even have one of my freak migraines! So I looked at it as a great several weeks! But as always, my luck is never the way that it appears to be.

I was sitting in my usual spot out on the balcony, soaking in some Vitamin D when Sheppard walked up to me.

"Get your things, Ricky. You're heading out with McKay and his research team," he said this almost in a passing tone, like I went with McKay all the time.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a very honest curiosity.

He took a deep breath of the fresh air," There's a planet that has... something that he is interested in...I'm not 100% sure what it is; you know Rodney," I nodded in agreement," So...you'll be gone for a while."

My ears perked up," A while? How long?"

He didn't break it to me lightly," Three or four days."

"Days?" I repeated...what the hell is on that planet that Rodney needs a full team and me to get? Oh, wait till I see McKay!

Sheppard looked at me," You'll be fine. You leave in twenty minutes, so I'd get moving...unless you want Rodney to bust a vein."

I got up," No...as much fun as that sounds, if I have to spend a few days with him, I'd rather be on his good side." I heard Sheppard snicker as I walked away to get ready.

By the time I got myself together and to the gate room, McKay had a look on his face that could kill. I walked up to him very cautiously, like he was a bomb ticking away before exploding. He turned and met my gaze," Where have you been?" There's the explosion...

I was taken back," I'm right on time," I looked at my watch to be sure. Yep, I was sure, right on time...exactly on time.

He looked at me and shook his head," Never mind. Let's go."

I followed in suit with everyone else who appeared to have been given a tongue lashing just like me, through the open wormhole.

Once we were through the gate on the planet, we walked about 100 yards when McKay started scanning the area. He shouted over his left shoulder to the rest of us," We have a mile to walk before we reach the spot! Let's move out!"

Huh. McKay leading people. That's a new one. I couldn't help but chuckle with that one. I don't think I was alone with this, because I saw several other members of the away team smiling with amusement.

The mile took forever it seemed like because of McKay's order shouting. From what I heard, there was no reason for his shouting to be happening in the first place. People followed his orders because they knew they'd have to answer to Weir or Sheppard when we got back because McKay would go and tattle, and even if he were in the wrong, we'd still lose the fight.

The next few hours of my sitting around watching people dig in the dirt, bored me to no end. Finally, I had enough. "What are we looking for here, exactly?"

McKay didn't even look up from his scanner," Rocks."

Rocks? Rocks? Really? We went to an alien planet for rocks? No wonder Daniel never liked McKay...

"Rocks?" I asked, hoping for more information.

He sighed, finally looking up at me, ever so briefly," Yes. Rocks."

I pointed down by someone's feet," There's a rock."

McKay looked over, then up at me, clearly annoyed," That's not the rocks we're looking for."

_Those aren't the droids we're looking for_. I thought with a smirk. I decided to try again," There's a rock!"

McKay looked where I was pointing and he replied as he glared at me with his beady eyes," That's not the kind of rock we are looking for!"

"Can you explain to me which rocks you are looking for? I've been sitting here for hours waiting for you to tell me something that is useful, so that I can help you..."

I never got to finish," We're looking for Naquadah rocks. They look like this." He was placing a rock into his pack, and he was covering most of it, so I never got a good look at it.

"So where do we find these Naquadah rocks?" I asked sincerely.

Rodney chuckled," It's just Naquadah...you don't have to say rocks at the end of Naquadah. That's all that it is. Naquadah. And it should be here."

Because he didn't answer my question, I asked it again," So...where do we find these Naquadah rocks?" I added the rocks to the end because I knew it would upset him and probably cause him to have a heart attack or something to that effect...I was hoping it would happen too, so that we could go home. At this point, I'd much rather deal with an angry Weir that deal with a stubborn McKay.

Rodney scoffed and then ignored me.

Because he did that, I grabbed a rock that was nearest to me and lifted it up so he could see," Here's a rock!"

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**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that it's taken me another week to upload another chapter. Moving sucks! I will try to keep the chapters coming as best as I can with all of the crazy busy drama that will be coming my way the next few weeks! Hang in there! Loving the devoted readers and reviewers! Keep it up! **


	14. No Longer the New Kid at Atlantis

**A/N: So, I had a little free time to be able to get this up for all of my devoted readers! As I mentioned previously, I'm in the process of moving, and will try to update the story as frequently as possible, but just bear with me, if I don't manage it! I have plenty of chapters ready to go, it's just trying to find the time. Moving still sucks... Anywho...enjoy!**

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The next three days were miserable...pure misery. I felt like I was being punished since the day I walked through the Gate to this place in the middle of nowhere. I was trying to figure out what McKay's problem with me was, but I remembered that it wasn't just me that his wrath was targeting.

I was so happy that we were heading back to Atlantis on day three. I felt like dancing my happy dance, but I knew that I was already going to get into some trouble when I got back as it was, so I opted not to.

Once we stepped through the Gate and stepped onto Atlantis turf, I looked up and sighed. It felt good to be home...well, my current home, as it were.

McKay and the others started to walk towards Weir. She said loudly enough for all to hear," I want a debriefing in fifteen minutes!"

I turned to head to my quarters to clean up from my camping trip from hell. As I walked down the familiar corridors, Ronon had suddenly appeared beside me.

"Geez!" I shouted as I stopped completely. I clutched my beating heart, in an attempt to slow it down.

He smiled," Sorry. How was your trip?"

I sighed and glared at him for a brief second for the near death experience, but replied," Oh...it was great. I never want to do that again."

I rounded the corner and bumped right into something hard. I lost balance and stepped back. I looked up to see that my something, was really someone. I felt like a moron. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was walking! Are you all right?"

I heard Ronon growl softly behind me. The new face replied," I am. Are you?"

I nodded," I'm fine, thanks. I don't think I've seen you around here before. I'm Ricky." I extended my hand out to him, and again, I heard Ronon growl.

The blonde haired man shook my extended hand and stated," Michael Kenmore. Nice to meet you."

"When did you get here? I don't remember seeing you...unless I'm completely oblivious," I was trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room, that Ronon was ruining with his stupid growling like a mad dog.

Michael replied," I don't remember. I've been having memory problems, and I've been seeing Dr. Beckett for it...so, you must forgive me for not knowing the answers to your questions."

I swatted the air," Don't worry about it. Look, I've got a meeting with Weir in ten minutes, so I've got to go get ready for that...but I'll see you around, right?"

He smiled awkwardly," Yeah. I'll be around."

"Okay. I'll see you later!" I sounded cheery...too cheery. Why was I so cheery talking to Michael? I couldn't think about it, because Ronon immediately growled as we walked past Michael.

I looked up at him with a confused look," That was rude."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Really? You're going to stand there and pretend you weren't acting like a rabid dog this whole time? Really?

"You were growling!" I stated matter of factly.

"I was not," he replied as he folded his arms across his chest when we reached my door.

I rolled my eyes," Whatever. I'll see you later." I walked into my quarters and closed the door on Dog Boy.

I managed to arrive to the debriefing in plenty of time. In fact, we were waiting on Wonder Boy McKay. He finally showed up when I was thinking about asking to leave.

Weir asked to no one in particular," How did it go?"

McKay stated," We found several samples of Naquadah. I think I have enough to start my project."

They talked about rocks, rocks and more rocks. For two hours, I sat there not saying a word...but something finally snapped inside.

"So you found your samples in-" I didn't let Weir finish.

"They're rocks! Everything is in the rocks! Not that I could have helped any because McKay wouldn't tell me jack shit! We found rocks. There isn't anything else left to say. There were rocks, end of story. Can we go now?" I realized afterwards how I sounded. But seriously, how much longer did we need to sit there talking about stupid rocks?

Weir nodded and let us go. I was the first one out the door, like I was in school all over again. I knew they'd be talking about me and what I said after I walked out, but I didn't care. The mess hall was calling out to me...and I was more than eager to answer the call!

I grabbed my tray of hot food, that looked amazing! Hey, let's face it, when you've been eating astronaut food for three days, anything looks amazing! I looked up to see where I should sit. I saw Sheppard with Ronon, Teyla and McKay, who apparently knows the shortcuts to get to the mess hall, sitting off to the side, where they normally sit, and a bunch of other people that I didn't know, but one lone person caught my eye.

Sitting by himself in the center of the mess hall, was Michael. I felt bad for him. I've been there. I remember being the new kid at Atlantis, and having people always staring and ignoring you at the same time. My heart ached for him. I glanced at my food for a second, and made my choice.

I started to head over to Michael's table when Ronon stepped in my way. I was able to keep my tray of food from spilling all over him or me in time. I looked up into his dark eyes. He motioned his head over to his table," We're over here." There was a seriousness in his eyes.

I looked at him wondering why we were acting like 12 year olds. I nodded," I saw. I'm sitting over here today." I walked around him, listening to his growling and I ignored it the whole time.

I stopped at the table and looked at Michael. His blue eyes met my gaze. I asked politely," Mind if I join you?"

He blinked a few times to make sure that I was really standing there, asking to sit. He nodded and motioned to my chair.

I placed my food down on the table and sat down. I smiled kindly at him. From the corner of my eyes, I could see every pair of eyes on us. That drove me nuts! "So...how's things since I last saw you?" I tried to break the ever growing tension in the mess hall.

He shrugged," They're fine, I guess." Before I could say anything else, he asked," Why are you here?"

"What?" that took me by surprise.

"Why are you sitting here with me? You know that you're friends seem upset," he said that with a hinted glance in Ronon's direction, who was trying to blow Michael's head up by glaring angrily at him, and I'm fairly certain he was growling.

"He'll get over it. I sat here because I've been in your shoes before. I know what it's like to have people staring at you and talking about how much of a freak you are...trust me, I'm the one with the bug eyes, remember?" I tried to make it as light and positive as I could, but realized that it didn't come out quite the way I wanted it to.

However, Michael smiled for the first time," Thanks. You don't have to sit with me though."

I sighed and noticed people were still staring...really, people? I could see that it made him uncomfortable and he wasn't eating. I stood up and grabbed my tray," Come on. Grab your food and follow me." When he looked at me confused, I repeated," Come on. Follow me."

He obeyed my command and we walked out onto the balcony. The doors closed behind us, and the great thing was, you couldn't see anyone from where we sat. I smiled and stated," There...no more peeping Toms, or staring Harrys."

Michael smiled and laughed," Thanks. You're the first person who's treated me as an actual person."

"Like I said, I've been there. I think I still am, but they're obsessed with the new guy in school," I realized that sounded stupid, but he laughed anyways.

We ate without interruptions or staring people. For once, it felt like I had a friend. We talked about many things, but I was realizing that Michael couldn't remember much about anything. He said that Weir and Sheppard had told him that he was captured by the Wraith, and when he was rescued, he suffered some head trauma.

I don't know why, but for some unknown reason, I had the feeling like I've seen this story play out before...it was probably something that I had read somewhere, so I blew off my instincts.

My heart reached out to him. He was nice, good looking, and no one wanted to give him the time of day.

"My guess is that people are not wanting to talk to me because I was captured by the Wraith...maybe they think I've been brainwashed to kill or something..." he bounced ideas off me.

I shook my head," I don't know what their problems are with you, but you should know that I don't have any issues with you. As far as I am concerned, you're a friend."

We had been on that balcony for several hours that we were no longer sitting at the table. Instead, we were laying next to each other, stargazing as we talked.

For the first time in a long time, I felt loved. I'm not sure why I felt this way, but it was so surreal to me, to have someone to talk to as easy as it was with him.

I yawned and stood up. Michael asked," What's wrong?"

I shook my head," Nothing. I'm just tired. I think we should call it a night."

I extended my right hand down to him to help him up. He took it. Once he was on his feet, he didn't let go of my hand. "I had a great night. Thank you for being kind. You're a good friend."

He let go of my hand as I said," Thanks. Well, I'll see you later, Michael. Good night."

I walked away, leaving him there on the balcony.


	15. When Things Go Bump in the Night

**A/N: Goodness...It's been a while. So, I'm finally moved into my new place, but still swimming up to my neck in boxes! I'm so looking forward to being completely settled and fully focused on writing more chapters. Yes, I still have several pre-written chapters for this story, but I feel like I'm falling behind. Anyways, thank you everyone who has stuck with me and favorited, liked, followed, reviewed, etc of this story! You're awesome! Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**

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I opened the door to my quarters and walked in. The lights didn't come on. I pushed the panel by the door to turn the lights on, but nothing happened. I sighed and walked towards my headset that I left sitting on my nightstand. As my hand reached out to feel for it, I felt a huge calloused hand grab my right wrist and then another hand over my mouth. I fought back. I elbowed the huge person holding me. Suddenly, we were both on the floor, with me pinned to the floor, and my attacker on top of me. I heard a deep voice in my ear," Stop it, woman!"

It hit me like a cement truck. Ronon. Damn you, Ronon...

He whispered," I need to talk to you."

He let go of my wrist and mouth, but he was still sitting on me. I was pissed. "Why didn't you just say so? What's with the whole attack in the dark thing? Jerk..."

Ronon ignored me," Listen to me. Stay away from Michael. He's not a good guy."

"What? Is that what this is about? Get off me!" I shoved him...or tried to rather.

He pinned my arms down with ease," Listen to me. You don't know what you are doing. He'll-"

"For crying out loud...get off! Get off, jackass!" I shouted.

Ronon pulled me up with him. We were both standing. I pulled my arms away from him.

"You're a jerk, Ronon! What the hell? You've got no right to tell me who I can and can't talk to...and why are you hiding in my quarters to jump me? Why can't you just be normal and use the doorbell?" I was hysterical, I know, but I lost it.

Ronon tried to explain as he turned the lights on," I'm trying to protect you from-"

"You're trying to protect me from what? You're being a psychopath, Ronon! On Earth, this would be considered breaking and entering, and assault...You're insane! Get out!" I didn't understand why I was being so critical of him. He had my best interests at heart, though he was going about it the wrong way.

Ronon stepped into the door way but stopped and turned to face me once more," Just be careful. You're going to get hurt or worse, and I may not be there to stop it from happening. I'm sorry."

I was in shock as the doors closed between us. I'd never heard him apologize before. This was big. I racked my brain. What was it about Michael that had everyone on edge? It couldn't be jealousy, though Ronon was a member of that club, if not the president of it, but I didn't get why he'd act this way, jealousy or not.

My head started to hurt from trying to figure it out, so I just turned off the light and crashed.

That's when I had the dream...

The dream was more of a nightmare. I was standing in front of the Stargate in the central control room in Atlantis. It started to activate, but no one stopped it from establishing a connection. I watched as five armed Wraith walked through the open gate. I ran.

As I ran from them, no one was in Atlantis. I was screaming for help, but no one responded or came to rescue me. I kept running, but each time I rounded a corner, there were more Wraith.

I was trapped into a corner. I had no where to go. As they encircled me, I heard a voice order them to stop. They stepped aside for the Wraith that was obviously in charge. As soon as they cleared the path, there in front of me, stood Michael.

I asked him what was going on, I begged him to help me. He laughed, but it didn't sound like his normal laugh. It sounded more Wraith. Suddenly, he started to look more like a Wraith than Human. Then, he grabbed my left arm and started to pull me away from the area roughly, but I fought him.

The more I fought back, the more he turned into a Wraith, until he was a Wraith in the fullest. Finally, I guess he had enough of my protesting, because he started to feed on me.

Then...I woke.

I must have been pretty freaked out by the dream, because I was screaming myself awake and I was completely soaked in cold sweat with my heart racing. When I stopped screaming, I looked over my quarters, and I swear, I saw a shadow of a man or a Wraith standing in the corner of my darkened room.

I don't know why, but I kicked my bed covers off, and in my pajamas, I ran out of my room at full speed.

There weren't a lot of people up, which told me that it was still pretty late at night. I ran towards the infirmary, where I knew someone would be there.

I never reached the infirmary.

As I ran down the halls, I turned the corner and slammed full force into someone, bowling us both to the floor, hard. I felt a hand on my right shoulder, and a familiar voice ask me," Are you all right, Ricky?"

I looked up, still sprawled on the floor, to see Sheppard lying next to me in the corridor. I couldn't speak, I couldn't do much of anything, but I started to shake.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked worried," Why are you crying?"

I hadn't noticed that I was crying. I must have been so focused on everything else, that I didn't realize that I was a complete emotional wreck.

He stood up, helping me to my feet, and that's when I noticed there were more people walking around. Once I was on my feet, I practically collapsed into the security of his arms. I whispered," I'm scared."

Sheppard asked," Why? What happened? What did you see? Was it a vision?"

My answer barely stumbled out of my mouth," Not a vision...dream...or nightmare, rather." He waited for me to continue, but I couldn't. I didn't know if it really was just a dream or if it was a vision...I hadn't thought of it that way, because I never had a vision in my sleep before.

He said softly," Let's get you to Beckett. We can figure out what's going on there."

He kindly led me to the infirmary, and everyone had stopped staring at me, for now.

In the infirmary, Beckett had given me something to calm my nerves, and I seemed to be able to fully function and think like a normal person...well, as normal as I could ever be.

I was finally able to tell them about the dream. They looked at each other but never said a word, but the look said it all.

"What's that look for? Is Michael a Wraith?" I asked suspiciously.

Beckett shook his head," No. He's human. You have nothing to worry about."

"Then why does everyone treat him like he is one? Why am I dreaming that he is? If there is something you haven't been telling me, please tell me. I deserve to know, especially if I am part of this team." I demanded nicely.

Sheppard explained," You are fine. Michael is human, and there is nothing, like Beckett said, to worry about. Just keep us posted about your dreams."

I felt like I was a kid getting the silent treatment when you ask your parents if they are getting a divorce, right before they do. I hopped off the exam table and headed towards my quarters. I needed to change before getting breakfast and before everyone saw me in my pajamas.

I had no problems getting to my quarters. Once I was there, I felt weird. I felt like I was being talked about, or something was being hidden from me. I didn't like it, but I couldn't prove it either. I chalked it up to remembering my dream, and the fight with Ronon the night before.

I walked to the mess hall alone, and once I got there, I noticed that Michael was outside at the table I had brought him to before. No one was staring at him but they were staring at me. I grabbed my tray of food and sat down at the distant table in the secluded corner.

As I sat there eating in silence, I glanced up to see the team heading to another table. I felt rejected from them, especially Ronon. I heard Sheppard explaining to them about what happened in the early morning. I stared at them to hear the full conversation. Suddenly, Ronon looked up at me. Once our eyes met, I looked away. I couldn't concentrate on the conversation anymore.

I was getting ready to stand up, when I saw another food tray set down in front of me. I looked up and saw Michael standing there, smiling at me. He sat down and stated," I was waiting for you outside, but I guess you didn't see me."

I forced a smile," Sorry. I didn't even think to look for you there." Liar.

He shrugged," It's okay." He noticed that something was up, so he asked," You all right? You seem a little off today."

"I had a nightmare last night. I ended up going to the infirmary for a relaxant," I tried to explain it vaguely, so I didn't have to tell him that I was now afraid of him, for no reason.

He frowned," I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do? Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

I shook my head," No, thanks. I think I'd rather just forget about it and move on with my day as best as possible, but thanks."

Michael smiled and then asked," So, what are you up to this afternoon?"

I looked him in the eyes. I realized that it might have been a dream, it might have been a vision, but until it was proven, I shouldn't be treating him any differently. Besides, he had been a good friend to me, in all of the twenty-four hours that I had known him. "I haven't thought that far ahead to be honest."

He leaned closer and asked," Do you mind if we spar?"

"Spar?" I asked surprised.

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat," Yeah, spar. You've done that with one of your team mates, right?"

I shook my head," Not yet. I haven't been here that long for them to train me."

Michael looked like he was taken by surprise this time," Well, why don't we spend the afternoon training?"

I figured that I should start to learn some kind of fighting to protect myself when something happens to me. I say when because I know that it will come up sooner rather than later. I nodded with a small smile on my face.

Michael grinned," Great! I'll see you at 10?"

I nodded as he got up and headed out. As soon as he walked away from view, I looked back at the team, but they seemed completely distracted. I was no longer hungry, so I got up and headed towards my quarters to get ready for my spar session with Michael.


	16. Sparring Lesson

**A/N: Yay! I finally got some time to update! I am about 95% unpacked! This is great! Soon, I'll be able to continue writing and posting chapters. I have seen the numbers of readers and I'm still amazed, though everyone's so quiet! Show some love, people! Anyways, I hope that this chapter is enough to keep you coming back, and I will do my very best to update when I can. Moving still sucks, and my life is still in disarray, so bear with me! Next chapter, Enjoy!**

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I was nervous about sparring with Michael. I had no experience with fighting, and I wasn't sure if he was going to go easy on me or not. I walked into the room, and there was Michael already stretching and jumping to get ready. As soon as the doors had opened, he turned to look at me.

"Are you ready?" he asked smiling.

I shrugged," I guess, but go easy, okay? I haven't done this before."

He nodded and said sincerely," I'll try my best."

I watched Michael get into the fighting stance, and I mocked his positioning. As soon as he reached for me, I tried to block it, but he grabbed me and whirled me around until my back was against his chest.

He laughed and released me," Try again."

Once more, I tried, but failed. So I asked," Can we go slower until I get some of the moves down?"

He laughed," Of course...sorry. I guess I thought you were being modest about your fighting skills."

He slowed down for me, so that I could keep up. I started to get the hang of it, so we started to slowly speed things up. I was getting the hang of things, but then, Michael started to go so quickly, I was only able to block some of the moves.

Finally, he asked as he picked up the sparring sticks," Want to try your luck with these?"

He tossed one towards me, I managed to grab it before it hit the floor, and I shrugged," Okay, we can try. I don't know how good I'll be, though."

We got into position, and then we started. I did pretty well, but then I got kind of cocky, and lost my stick. He picked it up and said," Try again."

I tried again, and this time, I held my own a little longer, before he smacked my hand and I dropped the stick. My hand stung, but it didn't feel broken, so I picked up my stick and got back into it.

Once I started to get the hang of it, something in his blue eyes, looked off. He sped up his movements, so that I couldn't keep up. He hit my stick so hard, it was thrown across the room, opening the censored door, and he grabbed me by the upper arms, placing the stick in front of my throat, and slamming me hard into the wall. I realized that I wasn't touching the floor with my feet, either. He had raised me up off the ground. I stared at him with fear in my eyes, and he looked at me with no concern or realization of what he was doing.

Almost like a blink of an eye, I heard a growl that sounded like Ronon, I was released, and Michael was suddenly in a one on one battle with Ronon. I was still kneeling on the floor, but I was staring at the scene that lay before me.

Teyla had come up to me, to check on me, and Sheppard was trying to break up the fight, to no avail. I asked Teyla," What's happening? I don't understand..."

Teyla mimicked my question," What happened in here? Why did he have you against the wall like that?"

I explained," We were sparring. Nothing was happening! Make them stop!"

Suddenly, Ronon had a hold on Michael's throat and had him pinned against the wall, the same height off the floor as I had been. Ronon was growling in Michael's face," What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Michael gasped," We were...sparring..."

I got up and headed over to Ronon, Sheppard and Michael. I could hear that Michael was having issues breathing. I placed my hand on Ronon's arm," Let him go..."

Ronon squeezed harder, and growled, but I couldn't tell if the growl was meant for Michael or for me.

I looked at Sheppard with pleading eyes," I asked to be taught...if anyone should be punished or blamed, it's me, not Michael."

Sheppard said after a moment of thought," Ronon, let him go."

Despite the pissed off look on Ronon's face, he did what he was told. He whispered something in Michael's ear, but I wasn't paying close enough attention to get it.

Everyone left, leaving me alone, with Michael. I looked at him and tried to reach out to him, but he pulled away from me. I lowered my hand," What did he say to you? Are you mad with me?"

Michael sat down on the window seat and rubbed his throat," It doesn't matter what he said and why would I be mad at you?"

I cautiously walked over to him and sat down. I looked him in the eye and explained," I feel so horrible about what just happened to you. That never should have happened. I'm sorry."

He looked at me and replied," It wasn't your fault. I got carried away. They were just protecting you from me. I'm a monster."

That took me by surprise," Monster? Why do you say that?"

"That's how everyone treats me. It must be true," he said softly.

I placed my left hand on his warm left cheek," Do I treat you that way?"

He looked back up at me, and smiled softly," No, you don't. You're the only one that doesn't treat me like I'm a monster..."

Before I could say another word, Michael moved so quickly, that even if I wanted to react, I wouldn't have seen it coming. He grabbed my face with his calloused hands, and brought his lips to mine with such force, but such passion, that I didn't move at first, until I realized what was happening.

I don't know why this happened, but I ended up kissing him back. It felt nice to have someone want me, and someone who wasn't afraid to be themselves; someone who understood. It was a great feeling. I ended up pulling him closer, and the kiss seemed to become more passionate with every moment that passed.

Michael walked me to my quarters that night. He held my left hand and we talked about little things that didn't matter; family, friends, and things like that. Okay, I did most of the talking, as he couldn't remember much, but still...talking is nice.

When we reached my door, he leaned towards me, and kissed me again. I returned the kiss, and once I pulled away from him, I smiled.

He pulled me in for a hug, and asked softly," What did you dream about?" He rubbed his hands up and down my back, which felt great, especially after getting my ass kicked all day.

I don't know why, but it just came out," I dreamt that you were a Wraith and you killed me...after you saved me from other Wraith."

I felt him tense up. He asked," You think I'm a Wraith?"

"No. I think that my subconscious is trying to make sense of why everyone else is treating you like one," I quickly added," When I woke up, I thought that I saw a Wraith standing in my room...I was scared, so I ran to the infirmary."

Michael asked almost seductively," Do you want me to take a look at your room? Check for monsters?"

I almost said yes to his questions, but instead I said," Not tonight. But if I have any more nightmares, I'll come see you, instead of Dr. Beckett."

He smiled and asked," Do you promise?" He pulled away from me to look into my eyes.

I nodded and said," Good night, Michael. I'll see you tomorrow."

I turned and walked into my quarters.


	17. Slip of the Tongue

Once inside the safety of my room, I turned the lights on, and sat down on my bed. I sighed heavily, recounting the day's events. Aside from the freakish nightmare, and the fight between the guys, things seemed like the day was perfect. I kept thinking about kissing Michael, but then something hit me so hard like a ton of bricks, that I felt sick.

My nightmare seemed like it was plausible the more I thought about it, and the more I remembered our sparring. Suddenly, I realized why everyone hated him.

I remember reading some of the show's episode descriptions about how they changed a Wraith into a human, using Beckett's retrovirus, and they named the new human "Michael".

I swallowed hard. This couldn't be the same Michael, could it? I didn't know who to talk to about this, because no one would believe me anyways. I had upset everyone as it was, so I didn't want to bring it up to them. But if it was the same Michael, they wouldn't have me hanging out with him so much. Right?

I was still in the middle of figuring things out on my own, when my door chimed. I jumped, startled. I looked at my watch. 01:37.

"Who is it?" I asked loudly.

"It's me," a deep voice replied. I almost rolled my eyes, but didn't.

I walked to the door, and opened it for Ronon. I motioned with my hand for him to enter, and once he was inside, I closed the door.

He sat down on the foot my bed and started," I wanted to apologize for my behavior the last few days."

I shook my head," Don't worry about it."

"Really?" he seemed shocked, eyebrow raised as he glared at me.

I walked up to him and stood in front of him," I need you to be honest with me. Okay?" He waited for me to continue, so I did," Is Michael a Wraith?"

"Well, I better let you sleep," he started to get up while playing the beat around the bush game that he was so good at. I knew that I needed him to answer my questions, and I couldn't let him get up or else he'd be gone. I quickly jumped into his lap and because I took him off guard, I was able to knock him onto his back. I pinned his arms down.

"Please, answer my questions. I need to know," I pleaded, straddling the huge man.

He chuckled as he observed my position and behavior, clearly amused," What are you doing?"

"I'm attempting to get answers to questions that no one seems to want to answer. Why? What do you think is going on?" I tried to keep the upper hand, my grip tightened.

Ronon laughed, which rocked me a bit, but I held on. He cleared his throat," Are you starting to believe everything that you've heard or has he started to act more like a Wraith?"

I looked at him confused," So, is that a yes? Is he really a Wraith?"

Ronon asked, deflecting my probing perfectly," What was your dream about?"

"You're changing the subject! I asked a question and I expect an answer!" I stated firmly, not finding the humor in the situation.

With another amused laugh and a little struggle from him, he asked," Why? You think that because you have the upper hand that you get answers?"

"Isn't that how it works?" I pondered, tightening my grip on him.

Before I knew it, Ronon had flipped us over, and he was now pinning me down on the bed, in the same position that I had him in. I realized that it was a long shot keeping him that way, especially given the huge size difference between the two of us, but I was still shocked when he took over, though it really shouldn't have come as any surprise.

He laughed," What are you going to do now? I've got the upper hand. So, tell me."

I tried to wiggle out, but he had such a strong hold on me, that I couldn't even budge," Tell you what?" I sighed.

He lowered himself down onto me so that he could whisper into my ear," Tell me about your dream, Ricky."

I'm not sure why, but I was extremely turned on. I tried to keep myself together, but it was very difficult with the spine tingling feelings," My...dream. I-I-I uh..."

Ronon chuckled softly into my ear," Am I making you nervous?"

"No...I just- you...I..." I sighed and closed my eyes," My dream was more of a nightmare. I was running from several Wraith that came through the Stargate and I was cornered, but I was saved by Michael, but the more I tried to fight his rescue, the more he looked like a Wraith, then he fed on me."

"Is that why you ran to Sheppard in your pajamas?" he whispered into my ear, almost seductively. Damn you, Ronon.

I blushed," No. When I woke up, I thought there was a Wraith in my room...I could hear it laughing or growling or whatever it is that they do. So I ran. I wasn't running for Sheppard, I was running to the infirmary."

Ronon lifted his head slightly until he was looking at my face," Open your eyes." I did what I was told. Once my eyes were open, I saw the concerned look in his dark ones. He whispered," I heard you scream."

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't know what else to say. Ronon said," I'll let you get some sleep." I didn't argue, because I just wanted to be left alone. He got off me and walked to the door and just left without so much of a word.

The next morning, I felt refreshed. I didn't have any more crazy dreams, and I felt...calm, almost serene. I walked to the mess hall, grabbed my tray of food, and looked around for any familiar face to sit with. The team wasn't there, and neither was Michael.

I'm not sure why, but my heart sank. I sat down at a table with Zelenka. The poor Czech scientist tried his best to include me in his research, but I couldn't keep up with his level of intelligence, let alone understand him with his thick accent. I knew he knew, but I love how he tried.

After sitting there for a few hours, trying to understand, and him trying to teach me, he finally got up and left me there alone. It wasn't long before I saw McKay walk into the mess hall.

I knew that I could count on him to make an appearance, especially when he suffered from hypoglycemia. I also knew from watching the shows, that McKay cracked under pressure...if only I was that good at interrogations.

He must not have seen me, or had been so preoccupied with getting food that he didn't see me come up to him. He turned around, and saw that I was standing behind him. He jumped and then shouted," What the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry," I snickered lightly," I didn't mean to scare you."

McKay started to unwrap his Power Bar," Just don't do it again. It's bad enough..." He stopped and looked at me," Never mind."

"What?" I looked at him with a tilted head. I knew that he almost spilled the beans about something that no one else wanted me to know about. So, I figured that I'd try to pressure him a little," What's bad enough, Rodney?"

He took a big bite and spoke with a full mouth," It's nuffing."

"It can't be nothing, especially if you're avoiding the question with food! What's going on, Rodney? Please, tell me..." I looked pleadingly into his eyes. He looked like he was going to melt right there with the puppy eye look, but he quickly walked past me. I followed.

I had followed McKay into his research lab. He sat down and kept working on whatever his project was and I sat next to him. "What are you working on?" I asked in honest interest.

He looked at me to be sure, then he explained," I'm looking at Dr. Beckett's retrovirus."

"Why? What's wrong with it?" I asked as I examined the sample in the Petri dish that I had picked up off the table.

He took the sample away from me and placed it under the scope. He pointed to the microscope for me to look through. He explained," It's meant to alter the DNA, but it seems like it doesn't stick. Things are reversing, making all the cells revert back the way they were originally. I'm trying to find the flaw in the virus and figure out why it's not working."

This was my moment to catch him off guard and get the answer to my question that I had been so desperately trying to get. I asked," So that means Michael will become a Wraith before the end of the week?"

Rodney was so preoccupied that he didn't even hesitate, and I feel a little bad for taking advantage of him, but he stated," Week? Try the end of the day, maybe two..." He looked at me, completely in shock for what just happened," I mean-"

"So, Michael is really a Wraith?" I asked seriously and I know that I had a hint of worry in my voice.

McKay shouted," You tricked me!" His mouth hung open from shock.

I got up and started out the door," I have to talk to Weir."

I heard McKay shout after me," She's gonna kill me!"

I found Weir in her office with the others. I didn't even knock, mainly because the door was open already. To me, an open door is an open invitation...of course, if the door was closed, I would have opened it anyways. As soon as I walked into the room, I demanded," So why didn't anyone tell me that Michael was a Wraith?"

Everyone looked at me in surprised shock. Weir started to ask," Wh-"

I cut her off," McKay told me." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Suddenly, I heard the breathless McKay standing behind me. He stammered," She tricked me into telling her...I didn't mean to."

Everyone gave McKay the "I can't believe you" look. I looked at everyone and stated," I did trick him, don't be mad at him. I took advantage of him and the situation. But more importantly, why didn't anyone tell me what he was?"

Weir sighed and looked down for a brief moment before looking up to explain," We didn't think there was any reason why you should know."

"When was he brought here and made human?" That was the fact that I couldn't figure out. Where had I been the whole time?

Sheppard cleared his throat," I thought it would be best if you were off world with McKay when we brought him here."

The light bulb went off. I questioned," Was that the mission we were looking for rocks?"

McKay took offense," Naquadah...not rocks."

I turned and looked at him," Did you know what was going on before we left?"

McKay sheepishly replied," I- yes."

I looked around at everyone in the room," So why? Why was it so important for me to be left out of the loop?"

"We were trying to protect you," Teyla stated in her sickly sweet motherly voice. She continued," We thought that with your gifts, it was best to keep you from knowing that there was a Wraith here."

I shook my head in disbelief, dropping my arms," And what were your thoughts when you let me become friends with him? I spent most of my days with him, and you knew what he was all along, yet you didn't intervene!"

McKay blurted out," Well, we didn't actually expect you to fall in love with him."

I knew that as soon as those words left his mouth, he regretted them. The look on his face spoke volumes. It also didn't help that I was giving him a look that could kill, if it were possible for looks to kill. Everyone looked at me with a shocked expression,, waiting for my next move.

I shook my head," Actually, I feel horrible that I became friends with him. I should have known better than to make friends here at all." I looked up at everyone and continued," And from the look of things right now, I guess I was never a friend to any of you...after seeing how you've treated me and left me in the dark."

I turned to leave, but Weir said," Wait." I stopped but didn't turn around. I turned my head slightly to let her know that I was listening. She said," I am sorry for leaving you in the dark, and we know now, that we shouldn't have done that. We were just trying to do what we thought was best for you at the time."

I asked," So what will you do with him now? Where is he?"

Sheppard stated," We will most likely give him the virus again, so he loses all memory of Atlantis, and drop him off at an uninhabitable planet. He's in the infirmary as we speak."

__I walked out, ignoring any other comments from the others_**.**_


	18. Escapes, Regrets and New Beginnings

I walked into the infirmary hesitantly. Beckett saw me and immediately knew why I was there. My guess was that Sheppard or Weir gave him the heads up that I was coming. He said," I don't know if you're wanting to see him now, my dear."

"Where is he?" I asked quietly.

Beckett explained," He's tied to the bed. He's a Wraith now, and I am getting the injection ready for his next inoculation."

"Where is he, Carson?" I asked, with a little more authority in my voice.

Beckett looked concerned but said," Follow me, but please, be careful."

I followed him back into the infirmary, and once we reached the far end of it, I could make out someone struggling on the bed. There were four men posted in the room with guns ready to go, if he escaped.

Beckett stopped in the doorway, but I slowly continued, unsure of what would happen.

I approached the bed, and looked at Michael...or the Wraith that was Michael. He saw me and stopped struggling. He shouted," What do you want?"

I sighed," I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Sorry for not telling me that I was truly a monster?" he spat the question at me. I couldn't blame him for being angry. Everyone talked about how the Wraith were vicious and horrible creatures, and then he finds out that he was...is one.

I came closer, which I know was not recommended by the guys with guns, because they came closer and tightened their grip on their guns. I spoke softly," I didn't know either. I just found out a couple minutes ago."

Michael looked at me and scoffed," I don't believe you."

"I know that you won't believe anything I say to you right now, but I want you to know that I never knew until today. If I did know what was going on, do you think that I would have spent so much time with you or became your friend?" I didn't know why I was taking offense to him not believing me, but I did. I was hurt just as much...okay, maybe a little bit like him, but still. I was deceived as much as he was. I told him that much too.

He looked over at me," Why would they not tell you? Aren't you part of the team?"

I shrugged," It's hard to say anymore. They said they were trying to protect me from you...but something happened along the way, and no one told me."

"How did you find out?" he hissed. I couldn't tell if he was hissing at me because he still didn't believe me, or if he was hissing at what I was saying...either way, I knew that it was something I was doing. I realized that I might be pissing him off.

"I tricked McKay into telling me. When he's under pressure or concentrating on something, it's easy to get him to talk." I waited.

Michael didn't speak. He was thinking, this much I could tell. He finally asked," So...you were betrayed by your people."

I hadn't thought of it that way before, but it made sense," I guess you could think of it that way."

He looked at me," Help me." I couldn't believe he was asking me this in front of four armed men. I had no intention of helping him, but at the same time, he used to be my best friend. For a split second, I wanted to help him, but I knew that it was too dangerous for everyone, for me.

I shook my head," I can't. I'm sorry."

He spat at me with so much hatred and anger," I thought you were my friend! Is this how you treat your friends on Earth? You let them face death alone without helping them?"

Those words struck me hard. I couldn't think of anything else to say but," I'm sorry, Michael."

He started screaming over and over," I'm not Michael!"

I was now completely terrified. I turned and started out of the room. I could still hear him screaming. Beckett walked in with the injection as well as four more men. Then the screaming had changed to," No!" Tears began to well in my eyes again. I had to get as far away from that room as I could.

I sat on my bed in my quarters with the lights off. I had wished I had a stereo or something to distract me from everything. I sighed and wondered if Michael had become human again, if they had transported him to his new home planet yet.

Finally, I realized that I needed to get out of my room, or else I'd go crazy. I walked out of my quarters and headed down the corridor. As I turned the corner where the infirmary was, I looked in the room as I passed by. Michael wasn't there. I sighed as I continued on my way.

The closer I came to the control room, the more commotion I could hear from people, but I couldn't make it out. Then, three men with guns ran past me, towards the control room. I stopped and looked around to see more people running and trying to hide or find a place to set up barricades.

I jogged up to an airman and asked," What's going on?"

He immediately replied," The Wraith is running loose in Atlantis. We're trying to slow him down for recapture."

Recapture? I thought about that for a moment. I didn't understand why we were trying to save his life...it's not like anyone really cared that much for him. Granted, he had too much information about Atlantis, therefore we couldn't allow him to escape, but why keep him alive?

I looked at the man with a hand held out," Give me your side arm." He looked at me like I was crazy. I motioned with my hand," Come on, come on. Your side arm. Let's go."

He finally surrendered his firearm and I ran towards the control room. I knew where Michael would go. He would want to leave and the only place that he could do that would be in the gate room.

I reached the gate room, and there he was, pinned down behind a pillar, taking fire from a few men. I took cover behind a nearby column and waited to see what would happen. Michael shot a few rounds at the men, hitting some, but missing several. It was as if he wasn't trying. I noticed that he wasn't completely Wraith yet either.

Once everyone was reloading, I took that opportunity to shout out loud," Michael! What are you doing?"

Everyone stopped and waited. Michael replied loudly," I'm trying to leave! I will leave! No one can stop me, or I will kill those who try!"

I shouted back, peeking around the column," What are you trying to accomplish? You're out numbered! Just put the gun down, and we'll let you go! That's what we were going to do anyways!"

"You lie! You're just like the rest of them! I will not be deceived a second time!" he hissed back.

I'm not sure why, but I stepped out from the column with my hands up. I placed the gun down on the ground and walked towards him. I heard Sheppard shout to me," Ricky! What are you doing? Get out of there!"

I walked to the center of the room, and saw that everyone's attention was fully on me, including Michael's. "Michael...you know me. I'm your friend. I am telling you, I will help you get out of here, but first, you have to trust me."

He looked around the corner, at all the soldiers with their guns, focused on him. He turned his attention back to me, asking," What makes you think that if I came out from behind this column, that they won't open fire on me?"

I replied," As long as you don't try anything funny, they won't harm you. Just come out now, and we'll get you home."

I heard Ronon ask someone, probably Sheppard," What does she think she's doing?" I looked up at Sheppard, but didn't see Ronon with him. That distracted me, so I looked around the room for him. I couldn't see him, so I turned to look back at Michael.

I admit, I am not the brightest person in the world. I need to work on that. As soon as I had turned to look for Ronon, my back was turned to Michael, and he took advantage of that. By the time I turned around to face him again, he was standing in my back pocket. He whirled me around, and grabbed me in a headlock, pointing his gun out in front of us.

He hissed into my ear," Don't take this personally...I need some reassurance."

I noticed that everyone's gun was now pointing at the both of us. I mentioned," You do realize that you've officially caused a problem. They might not be so kind to letting you go, now that you've gone and done this."

He sneered," I am not so sure they would have let me go in the first place. At least now, I have something they want. Give and take..." then he shouted out," Sheppard! Open the Stargate, and I'll let her go..."

Sheppard shouted back," You release her, and then we'll talk about it!"

I knew what Michael was going to say, before he said it," I knew that you wouldn't honor the deal! Open the gate!"

I heard the faint whisper from somewhere," Now?"

Sheppard shouted over the reply of the whisperer," Let her go, Michael!"

I pleaded," Michael, please... just listen to them. I'll make sure that nothing will happen to you, but you have to let me go."

He just laughed and shouted back to Sheppard," If you don't open the Stargate, I'll kill more of your people...starting with Ricky!"

I struggled but then heard him whisper in my ear," It's nothing personal, but I have to get away from here...away from you, humans!"

I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly, I heard footsteps running towards us, and I know that Michael heard them too, because he turned to the right, and extended his free hand so hard, it hit Ronon and sent him flying across the room. I shouted in fear," Ronon!" Ronon had hit the floor hard and slid across it for a few feet.

Then, I'm not sure what happened, mainly because my back was turned, but suddenly, Michael screeched in pain, and whirled around to knock McKay across the room. I felt his grip loosen around my neck, so I did the move he taught me. I elbowed him in the ribs hard, grabbed his arm and whirled around to kick him in the stomach, knocking him down to the ground. He started shaking so violently. That's when I noticed the syringe in his neck.

I was suddenly surrounded by Sheppard and the other men with guns. I looked at Sheppard," What's happening to him?"

He explained everything I needed to know in one word," Retrovirus."

"Huh...and who's idea was this?" I asked.

Suddenly, I heard McKay groan as he got up. I heard him muttering something like," Stupid...so stupid."

I walked up to him, and he looked like he was ready to take off running from me, but he stood his ground. I embraced him, hard. I was pretty grateful to him for saving my life, and I wanted to show him. He was a nice guy and smart, but no one gave him the appreciation that he deserved when he followed through. So, I figured that I would...at least, this time.

He returned the hug, but I am pretty sure that he was just as confused about that, like everyone else.

I said as I pulled away," Thank you, Rodney. You saved my life."

He smiled slightly," Yes, well...you're welcome."

I turned back to the rest of the group," Thank you...all of you." Everyone kind of just nodded and then walked away. Beckett suddenly showed up to check on Michael's injection to the retrovirus. I finally had to ask," What happened? How did he get here?"

Beckett explained," He broke his restraints once you left, and he attacked all of us. We didn't have a chance to administer the retrovirus."

I asked," This isn't because of me, is it?"

Beckett was kind," No, my dear. I think he had been working on those restraints for a while. I think that you were most likely the cause for all his anger though." I must have looked ashamed because he added," But I think he would have escaped regardless of whether or not you were there."

I knew that he was trying to make me feel better about what had happened, but I knew that Michael probably killed a few people, and I knew that their blood was on my hands...even though, I guess it was on all of ours.

Sheppard asked," How long will it take for the retrovirus to kick in?"

Beckett replied," It should only take an hour or so."

Sheppard stated," Then we better get him to that planet. McKay, start dialing." McKay walked up the stairs to the control room to start dialing the barren planet in which Michael would be stuck.

I asked," What will happen to him? Will he be all right out there as a human?"

Sheppard walked up to me and replied," The retrovirus doesn't stick for long, so he'll be his old Wraith-y self in no time. I'm sure his kind will pick him up." The gate opened up and two men picked Michael up and carried him to the open wormhole. They tossed him through the gate and then the Stargate shut down once he was completely through.

Everyone started to disperse. I stood there staring at the gate. I'm not entirely sure why, but suddenly, I felt guilty. I tried to help him, but then he abused it. I couldn't blame him completely, but I don't think that was where my guilt came into play. My guilt was more because I thought about leaving because no one seemed to want to trust me or tell me the full truth about things...that's where I started to think about Michael again. He was the same way. He wasn't told the truth from day one, and then we denied everything, and tried to lie to him some more. No wonder he reacted the way he did. I couldn't help but wonder if he was going to be okay.

My train of thought changed. I realized that even though I was being a bitch about things, like not being told that Michael was a Wraith, they still saved me. I needed to act more grateful and respectful to them. I remembered that my personality had changed after my near death experiences earlier and now, I knew that I was changed after this moment.

The old man who gave me his gifts told me that I was finished with the changes, but I think that I still have a long way to go, and I'm curious to see where it goes.

I turned and headed out of the gate room. I was headed to the infirmary where I knew McKay and Ronon, and quite possibly, the rest of the team would be. I wanted to thank them again, for risking their lives for me. For the first time since arriving, I felt like I was home. I couldn't screw this up...not this time. Time to start anew, and make amends, starting with those who were in the infirmary, and then working my way out.


	19. Weakening Vision & a Walking Dead Woman

The next few months went by in a blur. I spent most of my time in the training room, getting my ass kicked by Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon. I started to learn very quickly how to defend myself. After nine weeks of getting beat up, I could hold my own for a good while.

It wasn't much longer that they took me out to give me a chance with weapons training. Back on Earth, I had fired a gun a few times, but I didn't do it so regularly that I was a sharp shooter or anything. For the next few weeks, they had me only doing weapons training until I could manage better.

Back on Atlantis, Weir had given us the go on a mission to a planet called ' Theosa'. Teyla knew the locals, and wanted to check up on them and possibly trade. Weir agreed to this, and sent us on our way. Even though it was a visit trip, we still had to get all of our gear on and I realized that I finally looked the part that I was supposed to be.

We stepped through the gate and were immediately greeted by the locals. They were really friendly, and they took us straight to their village. I took in the scenery. It reminded me of Hawaii, not that I'd ever been, but I saw many pictures, so that's where it came from. It smelled like a florist shop, and I was grateful to know that I wasn't allergic to anything or else I'd be suffering.

We reached the quaint little village, and they led us to the dining hall. They served us food and drink. Teyla rekindled the friendships with the people and started to talk about trade. McKay was enjoying the food so much, he asked for seconds three times. I couldn't help but chuckle.

I stood up and said," I'm going to walk around...my legs are falling asleep." It didn't help that I was so bored!

Sheppard nodded and said," Don't go too far. We'll be heading out soon...I think." We watched Teyla for a second as she laughed with the leader of this village. I shook my head and waved as I took my leave.

McKay had followed me out and said," This is a nice little place. Nicer than some of the other places we've been to."

I nodded. It was a lot nicer than the others, this was true, but there was just something off to me. "Don't you get the feeling that something seems wrong here? Why have we been here so long?"

McKay replied," I don't know. Maybe because Teyla knows these people. Wouldn't you want to stay and socialize with friends if you had the chance?"

"I'm not complaining about her socializing, Rodney. I just feel like there is something not right...call it instinct, but I wouldn't be surprised if something came up before we leave," I was being paranoid. These people had the temperament of those in a nursing home, but I couldn't help it.

Then it happened. My sight started to disappear on me, and my hearing blacked out. My head felt like it was going to explode! I grabbed my head and collapsed onto the ground.

I saw machines, wires, and water surrounding me. I realized I was in an observation tank being experimented on. Then I saw the people responsible for it...Wraith. They had an instrument that looked much like a medical syringe in their hands, and they injected something into me. This is where I snapped out of it, screaming loudly.

McKay was leaning over me with a worried look across his face. He looked at me and asked," What happened? Can I do anything?"

He helped me sit up as I spoke," Wraith. Experiments...my head is killing me..."

McKay stood up and extended a hand to me, which I took, but as soon as I was on my feet, I felt like I was going to fall over again. He took my arm and threw it over his shoulders for support," Let's get you to Sheppard and back home."

We walked back to the dining hall, and as we approached, there was a crowd of people in front of the building. McKay and I stopped and looked to see what the commotion was all about. Suddenly, we could see our team making their approach.

Ronon had a huge smile across his face and his arm around the waist of a beautiful red headed woman.

McKay gasped," Oh my God! That's impossible!" Then he looked at me, expecting a reaction of some kind from me.

I looked at him confused, but I was still weak. I asked," What? Who is that woman?"

McKay replied, still shocked," That's Melena..." I still wasn't following, so I just waited with the same blank stare. He added," That's Ronon's wife."

My head swiveled over to the group in disbelief. I stared at them. I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked," Melena? Didn't she die on Sateda?" After saying this, I had hoped that what I had seen on the show, matched this reality.

McKay nodded," I guess she lived after all..." He looked at me, and I looked back at him. We were both in shock.

Sheppard walked up to us," What happened?" He motioned to McKay's hold on me.

McKay replied," She had a vision...we were on our way back to you- is that Melena?" I had to give him credit for covering everything that was asked of us as well as the situation at hand. I wanted to know what was going on...I didn't need to know about the vision, because I lived it.

Sheppard looked at me," Are you all right? What did you see?"

I replied," I'm weak, hence why Rodney is holding me up. But you didn't answer his question...is that Melena?" I nodded in Ronon's direction.

Sheppard turned slightly to take in the sights and replied," Yes, it would appear to be. We should head back to the gate...get you checked out."

I asked," What about Ronon? Is he staying?"

Sheppard sighed," No. He's coming with...and so is she."

McKay asked," Are you sure that's a wise idea? We all thought she was dead...even Ronon thought that she was dead...are we sure she is who she says?" Another reason I had to love McKay at this moment. He was saying what I wanted to say, but was too afraid.

Sheppard replied," Ronon claims it's her...so we're taking her with us for Beckett to check out." He looked at us carefully and then added," Go ahead and make your way to the Stargate and dial Atlantis. We'll be right behind you."

McKay and I turned to head back and Sheppard headed towards the others to get them moving. The people seemed so happy that we were leaving, and taking her with us...it bothered me.


	20. Examinations & Ultimatums

On the walk back to the gate, McKay seemed rather quiet. I asked him," Do you think that's really her?"

He sighed," I don't know. Is this all you're going to talk about now? You're not going to get all jealous, are you?"

If I wasn't so weak, I would have slugged him in the shoulder, but I did say," I'm not jealous, Rodney, but didn't you pay attention to my vision? Don't you think it's a slight coincidence that I get this vision and all of the sudden, we see a dead woman walking?"

McKay couldn't argue with me," I see your point, but until Beckett takes a look at her, we can't prove anything."

I threw a counter argument," Didn't Ronon say that he went back to get her, and watched her burn alive or something like that back on Sateda? If she survived that attack, how did she end up here?" McKay sat me down on the rock next to the DHD.

McKay nodded as he started to dial up the gate," I understand what you are saying, but speaking from experience, it would be best for you to not say anything, until we have more proof. Trust me, that is not a battle to fight right now."

One word caught my attention," We?"

McKay cleared his throat," Well...I believe you...I have my doubts, but again, we can't prove anything, so let's just wait it out a little bit longer before jumping in and making accusations, okay?"

I nodded in agreement and the gate opened. He helped me up from the rock where he put me, and we walked through the gate together.

The one thing that I hated about the new Ronon, was having to sit in the infirmary with him and his wife, sharing Beckett's attention for examination. I don't know why, but it was disgusting to watch the love-y dove-y two...blech, I don't even want to talk about it anymore!

Beckett started to give her a physical as I sat there, weak and wanting to get out of there. If it weren't for McKay standing next to me, I would have left, not to mention the fact, that I couldn't walk on my own. From time to time, I would groan and roll my eyes, but McKay would smack my arm before someone complained, or heard.

Beckett stated," You seem to be in perfect health, Melena. I'm giving you the clearance to walk around, but you will have to be escorted, of course."

She replied almost in a giggle, which annoyed me," Of course. I would expect nothing less." She looked at Ronon and smiled sickly sweetly.

I rolled my eyes and looked at McKay. He shrugged. Beckett turned his attention to me, after Ronon and Melena left. "Now then, what happened to you?"

I looked at him and replied," Tell me, Carson, why did you examine her first?"

Beckett stopped for a moment and replied," I'm not sure...I guess to get her out so that I can focus more clearly on you."

"She had a vision, Carson," McKay stated before I could continue my ranting, or almost ranting.

Beckett nodded as he started his examination," So, what was it about?"

"I was surrounded by water in an experimental tube of some kind, and was being experimented on by the Wraith," I managed to get out all of the major details.

Beckett asked," Is that why you were so weak?"

McKay snapped," What does that have to do with anything?"

"Rodney, I'm just curious as to why she has no strength, that's all. This weakness came right after this vision, correct?" he asked.

I nodded," Did you find anything off about Melena?"

Beckett stopped his examination on me," Come again?"

McKay asked sarcastically," Was there anything abnormal about your examination of the dead woman?"

"I don't think that's very nice to say about her. She seems rather nice and friendly. She was fine," he stated.

I didn't want to be in the infirmary anymore," I think I'm fine now, Carson. I should probably head to Weir and tell her about the vision."

Carson Beckett nodded and said," I would agree with you. Just take it easy today. You're not at a hundred percent strength level yet."

I nodded, and slowly got off the exam table. McKay escorted me to be sure that I would make it to my destination in one piece.

As we walked, I asked," Do you believe Beckett? I feel like he's hiding something, or maybe he missed something."

McKay nodded," Well, again, we have no proof. Just relax a little before people start to wonder about you and your motives."

We reached the control room, and climbed the incredibly long stairs towards Weir's office. I don't remember it being this long of a stairway. As soon as we got to the top of the stairs, we saw that Weir was meeting with Ronon and Melena.

I stopped and raised my free arm in defeat, letting it fall hard by my side," Are you kidding me? This is like a nightmare."

Rodney chuckled and said," As long as it's yours and not mine."

"Why? What do you dream about?" I pondered out loud.

I wasn't expecting a reply, but I got one," Sometimes I dream about being tortured by Amazonian women."

I looked at him," I don't want to know, Rodney...really, but thanks for sharing."

McKay asked," Do you just want to leave or would you rather I go in there and clear them out?"

I smiled," I appreciate your offer, but I don't know. I don't want to be anywhere near her."

I didn't have to wait much longer because as soon as I said those words, Ronon and Melena made their exit. Ronon looked at me and Rodney confused, but passed by us with Melena, loyally by his side. It sickened me.

We walked slowly into Weir's office. I sat down as soon as the chair was within reach. I sighed heavily once I was down.

"What's happened?" Weir asked concerned.

McKay replied for me," She had a vision...which is why we came to speak with you."

Weir asked," A vision? How long ago?"

"When we were on the planet, right before Melena made her miraculous resurrection," McKay stated. I started to fall in love with him. The one person that I was annoyed with all those years watching the series, and yet, here I am, wanting him to be an ally for life.

I spoke up," What was Melena and Ronon doing in here?" I realized that I was changing topics, but it mattered to me for some reason. I was looking for evidence...anything that would link Melena being something that she wasn't.

Weir replied," Ronon just asked me for permission to allow Melena to stay. She is his wife after all."

I scoffed. McKay questioned," And you said?"

Weir replied diplomatically," I had given them a trial run. If something came up, then I'd have to decline his request...at which point he told me that if I did that, he would leave."

"Leave? Like, for how long?" I pondered out loud, yet again.

"Indefinitely," Weir stated darkly. She suddenly changed topics to focus on the main reason for our visit," What was your vision about?"


	21. Finding Allies & Devising Plans

**A/N: Thank you, T for the review! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, and the characters! Hopefully, this chapter will be just as enjoyable!**

**Reviews are love!**

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Once our meeting was finished, I was a lot stronger than I had been since the vision. It was the first time I had no strength left when I had a vision. Beckett's theory was that I had experienced the same thing the person in the tank did, and therefore, I lost strength. Whatever the reason was, I started gaining my strength back. It could have been because I was furious with Ronon.

McKay and I walked to the mess hall, because we were both starving. We sat at a corner table to talk privately. Once we sat down, we heard the annoying giggling noises of Melena. I scoffed," Are you kidding me?" I realized that it came out harsher than I meant it to be, but I was so frustrated with the fact that no matter where I went, she was there. McKay looked at me and I added," Atlantis has got to be the biggest place ever, how come she's always around me?"

McKay shrugged," Maybe she likes you." He started shoveling food into his mouth.

I nibbled on my food and asked," What are your theories?"

McKay practically choked on his food," Theories? Are we part of the conspiracy theorists now? What theories?"

I looked at him with a slight annoyance," What are your thoughts, Rodney? How does a dead woman come back and how did she know where to find us? And come to think of it, why were those people back on Theosa so happy to get rid of her?"

McKay agreed," They did seem really pleased to see her go...but maybe that is their way."

My eye caught Teyla walking into the mess hall. I stood up," There is only one way to find out." McKay looked up and realized what I was about to do. He didn't have a chance to stop me, because by the time he cleared his mouth from food, I was already across the room.

Teyla looked over and smiled at me. She said," It seems your strength has returned."

I smiled kindly in return," It has. About time too. I was getting worried that I would have to rely on McKay forever." She chuckled politely, but I added," I was wondering if we could speak later."

Teyla nodded," Of course. I was planning on finding a sparring partner for later in the afternoon, if you'd like to join me."

"Perfect! I need to practice anyways. I'll see you later!" I smiled as I walked away. I didn't get very far, before Melena shouted my name. I wanted to ignore her, but I didn't want to piss off Ronon. I knew what he was capable of, but I didn't know about her. I changed my direction and stood at their table.

Melena asked," Won't you sit?" She motioned toward a chair. Ronon watched my reactions closely.

I wouldn't give him any," Thank you for your kind offer, Melena, but I've got a friend waiting for me."

She glanced over her shoulder to look at the confused McKay. She turned back to me and replied," I understand. I won't keep you long, but Ronon has told me so much about you and I would love to get to know you more, if you have time."

I realized that I was being set up. I did the polite thing," Of course. I'll make sure to see you soon. I hear that you'll be around for a while. I'm busy for the rest of my day today-"

She cut me off, which surprised both Ronon and myself," What are you so busy doing?"

I was taken back," I'm sparring with Teyla later, and I'm helping McKay with his research on-"

"How is tomorrow then? May we get together tomorrow?" she interrupted me again. She seemed really desperate...almost too desperate.

I smiled and said," Of course. I'll be waiting here for you tomorrow morning. Just come and find me or I'll find you here waiting, I'm sure. Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow it is," she agreed. I looked at Ronon before walking away, and he was concentrating on Melena. I thought her behavior was very strange, but I wanted a second opinion.

I rejoined McKay at our table, and he asked," What the hell was that all about?"

I sat down and pondered for a moment before replying," She wants to get together with me tomorrow...in fact, she practically demanded it. Even Ronon was taken back by her behavior."

McKay mentioned," It's almost like she knows what you are or something...maybe she wants to kill you."

I knew he was joking, but something really bothered me. I didn't want tomorrow to come," We have to figure out what is wrong with her before tomorrow. I don't like this...it makes me nervous."

McKay nodded in agreement," Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to my pudding cup. I shook my head, and he snatched it from my tray so quickly, the pudding practically disappeared.

Finally, I had to ask," How long after her death was Ronon captured by the Wraith and made a runner?"

McKay thought for a moment," Not long after. I don't know the exact time frame or anything...he doesn't like talking about it...why? What are you thinking?"

"The Wraith make you see things that aren't really there, right? So what if they made him see her death?" I was reaching, I knew, but there was something really off here, and no one, aside from pudding killer McKay, believed me. I thought maybe Teyla would agree with me if I presented my case.

Unfortunately, Teyla wasn't on my side," I don't understand why you feel that Melena is not what she claims."

I tried again," You don't find it strange that the people on that planet were way too eager to get rid of her? How many years has it been since her death?"

She suddenly caught me off guard by stating," It could be that you are looking for something to be wrong with her because you are jealous."

I crossed my arms over my chest," I am not."

Teyla laughed and she packed up her sparring equipment," I wouldn't get too worked up over Melena. She seems very nice and if there was something wrong with her, Ronon would be the first to notice."

She turned and left me in the gym. I thought about her last remark about Ronon noticing something off with her...then it dawned on me. He looked like he was surprised by her behavior over our conversation about getting together. The light bulb went off and I headed out the door to find McKay.

McKay is never hard to find. I've learned this pretty quickly. There are exactly three places Rodney would be if not with the team. One: his quarters. Two: the lab. Three: mess hall.

I didn't even search in that order. I had looked at my watch and saw the time, and started in the mess hall. Sure enough, I was right on target. He was just finishing up his late afternoon snack as I walked up to him. He looked at me," Teyla didn't agree with you, did she?"

I smiled," No. But not to worry. I've got a plan."

McKay stopped and gave me that stupid look, the one that wants to ask but decides that it's not important enough to.

"I'm going to drop this matter all together. If there is something seriously wrong, as I suspect, Ronon should be the first to recognize it-"

McKay cut me off," Assuming she doesn't kill you first."

Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't exactly taken that part into consideration. What if she really did want to kill me? What would her motivation be? I've never met her...unless...

"You don't think she knows that I'm a Gifted...do you?" I asked.

McKay shrugged," I don't think many people here in Atlantis even know that."

I stopped and let him walk away from me. I wasn't trying to take his comment personally, and I suddenly felt that maybe I was thinking more about myself...she didn't know me, so why assume the worst? Maybe Ronon has spoken highly of me or something and she just wants a friend. Guess I'd find that out in the morning.

I headed to my quarters, contemplating a lot of information.


	22. On the Road Again

**A/N: Thank you T, for your review! This is a short one, forgive me!**

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The morning came way too quickly for my own personal taste. I realized that I could no longer make Melena wait for me. I knew that she was in the mess hall, and there would be more people there to witness my death if I did happen to be her target. I pulled my boots on, tied the worn laces and walked out of my quarters to get this torture over with.

I stepped into the rather crowded mess hall. Seemed that my plan of having witnesses was going to work in my favor. I scanned the room, looking for her, and sure enough, she was standing up, waving her hand. I walked up to her and sat down as she did. She asked," Will you not eat?"

I shook my head," Not really that hungry." Truth be told, I was starving, but I figured that if I was going to die, I'd rather not die on a full stomach. McKay would be able to have my share of the breakfast that way too.

She nodded and stated," Thank you for meeting with me. I know that you have a very busy schedule."

I nodded and waited for her to say something else, but she just stared at me, so I said," It's not a problem. What can I do for you?"

She smiled," I have a request to make of you...if you can fit me into your schedule." She liked to remind me of my "busy" schedule...I wondered if she knew that I had lied about that. "You see, I want to visit a dear friend of mine, and I was hoping you could take me there."

I was confused," Why don't you ask Ronon to take you?"

She shifted in her seat as she glanced around the room," The thing is, you see, Ronon doesn't like this particular friend. I wanted to ask him, I did, but I knew that he would never have allowed it. That is why it was so important to ask you."

_Ronon doesn't like this particular friend?_ Why? Was this friend a Wraith or something? I asked," So, you want me to sneak you over to your friend's?"

She quickly replied," It's not like that! You wouldn't need to sneak me in there...we could simply say that we are going to trade with a few locals in a previous home world of mine." I felt my eyes narrow with suspicion. She added," We wouldn't be gone for more than a few hours."

I cleared my throat," I'd have to speak with Dr. Weir. Even then, I cannot promise that we will be going."

She nodded and said," I understand, but I am very pleased that you are willing to try."

I stood up and walked away from her table. I felt tense and I didn't trust her...I felt like I was being set up for failure somehow, but no one seemed to be bothered by her but me.

On my way to see Weir, I stopped by Sheppard's quarters. He opened the door and asked," You all right? You seem a little shaken."

I looked around before asking," Can I come in?"

Sheppard nodded and stepped aside to allow me access to his room. He closed the door and asked again," You all right?"

I turned and looked at him," Have you ever felt like you were being set up? Like in a bad way? Like you were being led blindly to a slaughter?"

He looked at me with a very concerned look," Are you referring to Melena?"

I blinked," What? How did you know that?"

He chuckled," McKay and Teyla are concerned with your obsession with Melena being something that she's not."

McKay...I'll kill him, no...I'll just tell him he owes me a pudding...that would set him off, or something. "I thought McKay was on my side about this one..." I didn't mean to say that out loud, but it came out anyways.

Sheppard came up to me," Look, I understand your concerns, but she hasn't given us any reason to think differently."

"Did you know that she wants me to take her to a planet in secret? She doesn't want anyone, especially Ronon, to know that we are at this particular planet? She said that we'd be seeing a good friend of hers and we'd be gone for a couple of hours at best." I realized after saying it out loud that it didn't seem as bad as it felt, so I added," She wouldn't tell me anything more...she told me to tell Weir that we'd be trading, not seeing a friend."

Sheppard placed a hand on my shoulder," I'm sure everything will be fine." Before he could remove his hand from my shoulder, I had another vision.

This vision was probably one of the worst ones I'd had yet...except maybe the one that Melena showed up in.

My eyes flew open, and I was lying on the floor, with Sheppard's arms wrapped around me. I was shaking pretty violently too.

I sat up slowly, with the help of Sheppard. He looked at me with a serious look as I asked," What the hell was that?"

He said," You had a vision."

I held my head," Yeah, I got that much."

He asked," You don't remember any of it, do you?" I shook my head. He added," You should go see Weir about the field trip."

I nodded and stood up with his help," I better before I have another freak migraine!" I walked out the door, not even remembering why I was with Sheppard to begin with.

As I figured, Weir gave me the green light for this little "visit", she didn't even want to add more men to the detail. It would just be me and my new found buddy that I didn't like. I stood in front of the Stargate and waited for Melena to show up. Ronon was beside her as they approached me. She told him," It will be a quick visit. I'll be back soon, my love."

I wanted to roll my eyes. I wanted to gag. I wanted to shoot her and get it over with. Instead, I asked sweetly," Are you ready to go?"

She smiled and nodded. Ronon shouted to me," Take good care of her!"

I nodded, gritting my teeth as she stepped through before me, and I followed.


	23. Surrounded

**A/N: Thank you T, for another awesome review! I thought about letting you sit with your questions a little while longer, but because your review made my morning, I decided to post another one! It's short, but well worth it. It might even answer a few of your questions! Enjoy!**

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On this planet, it was definitely less advanced than I thought, but I wasn't going to complain. I figured that would give us the advantage if anyone...or Wraith, tried to take us on.

Melena led the way through the markets of this village. I followed her with caution. I watched as several people started to head back inside. I realized that something bad was going to come from this, and I knew I wouldn't get the heads up, until it was too late.

Melena started to approach a path that led into a wheat field. I stopped her," Hey! Where are you going? I thought you were going to visit your friend."

She giggled annoyingly," We are. He lives through this field."

I watched her walk on. I thought about letting her go alone, but then I realized that if anything happened to her while she was with me, I'd be in serious trouble with Ronon when I got home. I felt like a child who just got scolded as I slouched over and followed her through the field.

It took us a while to get through the field, but once we did, I could see the small hut and I knew someone was home because there was smoke coming out of the chimney.

We approached the door and Melena knocked on it. I walked around the side of the hut, to look around. That's when my eyes saw it. I noticed the alter thingy standing in the backyard of this place. I scanned the rest of the area, looking for Wraith, but not seeing any.

I heard Melena speak," I have brought a friend with me. This way."

I turned around and saw Melena standing there with a Wraith. I raised my gun and pointed it directly at the two of them. I demanded," What the hell is this?"

Melena tried to walk towards me," It's okay. We're all friends here."

I stopped her approach by moving my gun to focus on her briefly. I asked again," What the hell is this? This is your friend? What do you want from me?"

The Wraith didn't take a step forward, but screeched loudly across the fields. Suddenly, I realized that he was calling to the other Wraith in the area.

"How many of you are there?" When the Wraith didn't respond, I looked at Melena," Who the hell are you?"

She smiled," I'm Melena. You know this."

I couldn't help it anymore, especially since I could hear the others running towards us," Screw you! Who are you really? No more games...since I'm not going to live much longer...I think I deserve an answer!"

She smiled," I traded your life, for mine. It's that simple. I am Melena, and I'm getting a second chance at life, by taking yours."

I was now surrounded. I knew that even if I tried to open fire, I'd lose. I could hear at least ten Wraith breathing...and that was counting the one in front of me. "So...what are you going to tell the others?"

A Wraith came up behind me and reached for my gun. I twirled and smacked him in the face with the butt of my gun, and opened fire. I killed one, two...and then I was down.


	24. The Truth Comes Out

**A/N: As always, T, you have put a smile on my face with your review! Hope you enjoy this next chapter, as short as it is. I don't think it will answer many of your questions, but hopefully it will keep you in suspense to keep coming back and reviewing! **

**Reviews are love!**

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My eyes opened to the night sky. I could hear fires crackling, and the smoke was blowing over me. I turned my head and looked around. I saw Melena talking with some of the Wraith. I realized that she wasn't even afraid of them. She looked in my direction and smiled as she approached me.

"You never answered my question," I reminded her.

She giggled," I'll simply tell them that you were overrun by the Wraith on this planet, or maybe I'll tell them that you were taken in the culling here. Either way, your corpse will be enough evidence of a Wraith attack."

"What about all those people we passed by to get here? What are they? Are they like you?" I had to ask. I was a dead woman anyways.

"They are not like me. They are human," she said this so naturally.

I couldn't help but wonder," If they are human, how come the Wraith haven't fed off them yet?"

Melena laughed and replied," They do...just not as often. They wait until the population has grown and then they come."

I realized that I was strapped to the alter," What are you going to do to me? Be honest...I'm tired of your mind games."

"Even if you weren't, the games don't work on you. They never have. I was surprised that you were even willing to bring me here," she stated. She walked around to the other side of me," This alter will slowly drain the life from you. This way, the Wraith will not need to feed until they have completely drained you from yours. The best part of it all, is that you don't even need to be alive during the whole process." She laughed again, and it sounded like bells chiming...I hated her for that.

I sighed and asked," So, you're going to kill me?"

She shook her head," No. I'm not. In fact, you're going to be alive for most of it...until you're body gives up first. Crude, but it works."

"How long?" I had to ask. I guess to figure the length of time it would take the team to realize something seriously wrong had happened and rescue my pathetic behind and kill hers.

She laughed that sickly sweet laugh that I hated so much," Not long. You should be dead by this time tomorrow. The same time I have to go back to Atlantis."

I suddenly loathed her. Not that I didn't already, but still...I really loathe her! "What will you do when you get back there?"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance," You ask too many questions."

"What? I'm a dead woman, I can't know?" I realized I was pushing her buttons, but again, I was going to die...might as well annoy my enemies by frivolous talk.

Melena looked me up and down," I will repeat the process until I have complete control of Atlantis." With that said, she left.


	25. Barely Holding On

**A/N: Thank you again, T, for the review! I'm glad you're still enjoying this story! I have so many more ideas coming, so be sure to keep coming back! Your reviews are great to see!**

**As always, reviews are love!**

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The nights on the planet was super cold. My feet went numb and my fingers tingled as if ice shards were running through my veins. I stared at the star filled sky and felt a couple tears stream down my dirty face. I closed my eyes and thought about the things I have been through.

Suddenly, a memory hit me hard, like a cement truck. I had thought about Sheppard when I was invisible and surrounded by Wraith and he heard me and came to my rescue. I wondered if I could do that again, or if it was only a proximity thing. I had nothing to lose, so I closed my eyes and concentrated hard on Sheppard.

The machine was humming, which I didn't notice until I was concentrating on sending a signal to Sheppard. My body started to feel light, almost as if I were melting away. I realized that Melena was right...I would be dead by morning. Tears fell faster down my dirt covered cheeks.

I must have fallen asleep, because my eyes slowly peeled open to see the blue sky and warm sun falling onto me. I couldn't move. I had issues breathing and blinking, and I knew that I was done for.

I heard soft footsteps approaching me...more than one pair. Melena and her "friend" the Wraith stood over me, blocking the warm sun from my eyes. "Still hanging on, I see?" she spoke sweetly.

I didn't have the strength to respond. The Wraith looked at me and hissed. Suddenly, they both seemed distracted. I couldn't care less.

The wind picked up and the trees looked as if they were bending from a great force above them. The next thing I saw, was the puddle jumper coming out from the cloak and the sounds of gun bursts coming from behind me. Inside the puddle jumper, I could make out Beckett, McKay and a few others. I wished I could smile or wave, because I totally would have.

Melena ran up to the alter and switched it off. She pulled me off and stood over me with a gun...my gun, pointing at my head. I was so weak, all I could do was stare into the barrel of my own gun.

I heard a commotion of voices, and then I heard her shout," One more move and I will end her life!"

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?" I couldn't pinpoint who said that.

She smiled," You know who I am! You saw the tests that Dr. Beckett preformed! You know that I was truthful in saying that I am Melena!"

"Melena would never do this!" A voice stated closer than the rest.

Judging by her reaction, the voice was practically next to her. She cocked the gun suddenly," I am warning you! Come any closer, and I will end her life! Back away from me, Ronon!"

My heart fluttered. Ronon was here. He had snuck up on her and she didn't know it. I knew that her charade was over. I wanted to say,' I told you so,' but this wasn't the right time...and again, I could barely breathe.

"Give me the gun, Melena. Leave her alone." Ronon spoke firmly, yet gently. I was still annoyed, but I was so weak, I couldn't show it.

With Melena distracted, I tried to crawl away from her, but she kicked me off of the platform the alter was resting on, and I fell down the steps. Now I hurt even more. I groaned, trying to touch my now bruised ribs. She bent down and placed the gun directly on my chest. "I will not say this again!"

I felt Ronon backing away from her. My heart sank. He was leaving me to this mad woman!

She looked down into my eyes with her green ones," I guess this is good-bye!"

I tried to speak, but couldn't muster the energy to do a thing but look at her. I heard the gunshot, and my eyes closed. I felt my body hit the ground and warm, wet fluid engulfed my chest as if it were on fire.


	26. Coming To

**A/N: T, your reviews give me happy feelings! Love them! I love all of your questions too! Hopefully, this will clear some things up for you, and that you will keep reviewing and loving the story as it continues!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Those were the sounds I woke up to. My eyes were difficult to open because they were crusted shut by the tears I had cried back on that awful planet.

As soon as my eyes were open, I saw Beckett looming over me. He smiled," You're awake! How are you, my dear?"

Talking was a challenge. My voice cracked as if I hadn't spoken in several months," Confused."

Another familiar voice entered the room," Ah, she lives!"

Beckett turned to see McKay walk up to my bed. He smiled and asked cheerfully," How are you?"

I looked between the two of them," I'm not dead?"

They laughed, and McKay shook his head," You're such a jokester! No, you are very much alive...it took you a few weeks, but you survived!"

"What happened?" I whispered, still not sure why I was alive.

Beckett walked away, and McKay sat next to me on the bed," Well... do you remember anything?"

I quickly brushed over the details, and he nodded," Well. You weren't the one shot."

"Good to know...but I felt the blood." I looked down at my chest, but there was no wound padding or dressings, so I looked back at him for an answer.

"Melena was shot and killed on site. She fell on top of you...that's the blood you felt. You must have passed out from the experiments that they put you through," McKay looked at me in a very concerned manner that I never saw in him before.

After licking my dry, semi-cracked lips, I asked," Who-"

I didn't have to finish the question before McKay looked at me and quickly and quietly spoke," Ronon."

Ronon?

The confused look must have been obvious on my face because McKay gave me a half smile and walked away. I sighed and thought about everything that happened.

Beckett returned," Are you in pain, my dear? Would you like a shot?"

I shook my head. It wasn't so much in saying no to the meds, but to everything that had happened. I couldn't believe any of it. Beckett walked away from me, and I continued to think until I fell asleep again.

I finally woke up in my own room. It took me a moment to realize that they had transported me from the infirmary to my quarters, but I wasn't going to complain...I'd much rather be in my own space than in Beckett's.

I sat up slowly and then stood up. I tried to take a step forward, but I got a little woozy, so I sat back down for a moment to regain composure.

It wasn't long before I heard the door chime. I looked at the door. Standing up, I very slowly managed to make my way to the door and opened it. I looked up and met Ronon's gaze. I sighed in relief.

The entire time that I spent in the infirmary, I was visited by everyone except him. McKay spent extra time with me, which was weird, but I enjoyed the company. Because I hadn't seen Ronon, I wondered if he was mad at me for what happened.

He looked at me with is brooding eyes," Can I come in?" I nodded and he walked past me. I closed the door and slowly made my way back to the comfort of my bed.

He stood in the middle of my quarters and watched me slowly make the trek from the door to the bed. Once I sat down and looked up at him, did he start talking.

"Are you all right?"

I nodded," I'm a bit out of it, but I'm okay...thanks for asking."

He didn't falter," Are you in pain?"

I shrugged," It's not that bad. Residual." I watched his reaction to my answer. He knew that it was worse than I was making it out to be. But truth be told, I didn't want him to feel any more guilty than he probably already did.

He paced a few steps uncomfortably. I looked at him," Do you want to sit?" I had to offer, because he was starting to bother me with his pacing.

He stopped pacing and sat next to me on the small bed.

I hadn't realized how cold I was until he sat next to me and I felt the heat radiating off of his body. I looked over at him. He was staring straight at my door. I finally asked," Are you okay?"

He nodded briefly, almost to acknowledge that I asked the question. I finally stated," I wanted to thank you...for what you did. I can't imagine how difficult the choice you made was."

Ronon growled very, very faintly. I bit my lower lip, almost afraid to continue, but I did," I was afraid no one was going to come for me and that I would die there alo-"

He turned to me, and before I could finish my sentence, he grabbed my neck, fiercely and pulled me into his powerful kiss. There was so much force and passion in that solitary kiss that I melted. He pulled away from me after a few moments, letting me go and looking at me.

Dazed, I blinked a few times to try and adjust to what just happened. I looked at him," Uh...thank you...but what was that for?"

He sighed heavily," I thought I had lost you. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if we hadn't have gotten to you in time."

"How did you know where I was?" I was trying to ignore what he just said, even though my heart was flip flopping and butterflies attacked my stomach.

"Sheppard saw your vision when you went to speak with him about Melena, not to mention hearing your pleas while you were attached to that...that...thing!" he spat the last words out like venom.

I looked confused," I don't remember the vision...let alone why I was talking to Sheppard before leaving."

Ronon looked at me," I had my suspicions about her, but I never realized that your life would be the target...I thought it would be me."

"You?" I was lost.

"I'm a runner, Ricky. The Wraith knew this, and I thought that they were going to try to recapture me through her...but I had no idea that it was you she was after."

"When did you realize that she wasn't who she said?" I asked.

Ronon sighed," She was Melena, but not the one I loved. She was different somehow. I knew it when we found her back on Theosa."

I stood up, suddenly stronger, "You knew that long, and didn't say anything? Everyone thought that I was crazy or...jealous by thinking she wasn't who she claimed to be...and you knew?" I realized that my tone of voice would suggest that I was more pissed off than I was.

He stood up and approached me," I'm sorry. I never meant to put you in harm's way. I honestly didn't think she would come after you. To be honest, I had been watching her from the beginning. I was there when you met with her in the mess hall."

I stared at him. I couldn't think of anything to say. I was almost in shock.

"So...forgive me?" he asked. He was so close in proximity to me that I could feel every hair on my body stand at attention, and the feel of his hot breath on my cold skin.

I shook my head as I stared at him. I was upset at finding out that he knew all along, but didn't do anything to prevent what just happened to me. I could have died...thrice that day, and it was because of him...but I had also lived because of him...

He leaned in closer to my face and repeated in almost a whisper," Forgive me?"

Suddenly, I couldn't control myself. As I stood there in front of him, staring into his dark eyes, I lost all thought and just plunged into his strong embrace and kissed him firmly on the lips. He reciprocated with no fight in him at all. I could feel his heart beating quickly and his hands roaming up and down my back, neck, and through my dark hair.

Just as quickly as it started, we stopped. He kissed my forehead and left without saying a word. I was short of breath and weak in the knees, so I let him go and sat back down on the bed, pondering everything that just happened.


	27. Friend Calling

**A/N: Glad you're enjoying this still, T. Hope this is another good chapter for you! (it's short, but worth it for the next storyline!)**

**Reviews are love!**

* * *

That night, I slept like crap. I couldn't stop thinking about the events that led up to where I was. Ronon's words echoed in my mind," _I'm sorry." "I honestly didn't think she would come for you." "Forgive me?" _

After a long night of tossing and turning, and hearing the big man's voice in my head, I got out of bed early. As I was getting dressed, I realized that I was much stronger than I was the day before. Whatever Melena had done to me, was starting to wear off.

I walked down the corridors of Atlantis. I must have been in my own little world, because I didn't see Dr. Weir approaching me.

"Well, it's nice to see you out and about, even though it's quite early for you. How are you doing?" she asked with her motherly voice.

I blinked back into reality," I'm better. I'm not at hundred percent, probably ninety percent." I decided to ignore her jab at my liking to sleep in when I could.

She smiled warmly," Good to hear it. I wanted to tell you that while you were in the med lab, a friend of yours called."

Called? Seriously? That sounds like we live on Earth and it's a normal occurrence for friends to just 'call' me up...I wondered if she took a message.

She continued," I explained what happened, and why you were in the med bay for the past few days. He's coming here."

"He?" I repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Weir smiled," I believe that he should be here within the hour." Without getting any more information from her, she just walked away.

I watched her walk away from me, pondering who she was talking about. Sighing, I continued to walk to the mess hall.

In the mess hall, I grabbed a tray full of food. Sitting down at the nearest empty table, I began to eat the food before me. Suddenly, another tray of food was slammed down on the table in front of me. My eyes drifted up to see Rodney staring at me. "What can I do for you, Rodney?" I tested the waters carefully.

He glared at me," Why?"

"Uh, why what?" I asked, confused.

He pulled the chair opposite from me and sat down," You know what! Why would you bring him here?"

This is getting ridiculous. I wish people would stop assuming that I knew everything that was going on. Just because I have visions of the future, doesn't mean that I know what is going on all the freaking time!

"What in the world are you complaining about now, Rodney? Bring who?" I practically shouted at him.

Before he could reply, I heard a familiar voice speak behind me," I think he's upset about my arrival."

I exhaled with surprise, by the sudden sound of that friendly voice. I was afraid to turn around, but I stood and looked behind me. Standing there, was Daniel.


	28. Quality Time

**A/N: As always, T, you brighten my day! Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Reviews are love!**

* * *

"How are you doing, Ricky?" Daniel asked with a friendly smile.

I'm not sure why, but I practically threw myself into his arms, embracing him hard, and crying.

He returned the sudden embrace, and started to shush my cries," It's okay." He chuckled.

I pulled away, asking," When did you get here? Why are you here?"

He smiled as he replied," Well, I called to talk to you, to check up on you, but after Dr. Weir explained what happened, I felt that I needed to make a trip out here instead. So here I am."

"I'm so happy you're here!" I beamed.

"Well, you're the only one!" Rodney grumbled as he stormed away.

After watching him storm away like a preschooler, I asked Daniel," What is his problem?"

Daniel chuckled as he said," He's threatened by me."

"Oh, I get it now. He's threatened by your intelligence...I remember now," I said as I smiled.

Daniel asked," So, want to show me around?"

I knew that he had been here before, but knowing that it was a chance to spend some quality time with Daniel, I immediately agreed. As I turned around to head out of the mess hall, I bumped straight into a wall. I felt hands grab my arms to steady me. Wait a minute...walls don't have hands...

I looked up to see Ronon towering over me. He wasn't looking at me, but at Daniel. I tried to pull away from him, but his grip had tightened. "Who's this?" he asked in his deep voice.

Daniel said," Hello, um, I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm a friend of Ricky's."

Ronon finally released me. He looked down at me as he asked," What's he doing here?"

"Why does everyone ask me that?" I questioned.

Ronon decided to growl and walk away instead.

Daniel asked," Is he always like that?"

I threw my hands up into the air, in defeat.

After the tour that Daniel had clearly had before, as he led the way for the most part, we ended up standing on my favorite balcony talking about the experiences that I had since being sent to Atlantis.

"I'm sorry that you got sucked into all of this," Daniel stated, genuinely apologetic.

I shrugged as I said," It is what it is, unfortunately. I've made some great friends though." I smiled at him.

Daniel asked," So what was the word that Ronon calls you?"

"Gifted," I replied.

Suddenly, Daniel had a look of recognition, like a light bulb suddenly went on.

"What?" I asked, with curiosity.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. He stated," I think I need to do a little research. I'll see you in the morning?"

I looked at him confused, but he just smiled, walking away to leave me alone on the balcony. What just happened?

I made my way to my quarters, alone. I had hoped to keep talking to Daniel, but I wasn't sure what happened on the balcony.

I walked up to my door, hit the wall sensor and walked through the open door. Once I was over the threshold, I heard the door stutter behind me. I turned to see what had happened, only to see Ronon standing behind me. "Son of a-" I started to shout.

He continued into inside my quarters, and the doors shut behind him.

"What can I do for you, Ronon?" I asked, clearly annoyed.

He was looking around my room. He asked," Where's your friend?"

I sighed," He's not here, if that is what you are wondering."

He turned to look at me. He asked," Why is he here?"

"Why does everyone ask me that? Why is his presence here so upsetting?" I demanded.

Ronon approached me, stating," You're angry."

I rolled my eyes. I asked," What do you want, Ronon?"

He went to reach for me, but I moved away from him. He ordered," Come here."

"Go away, Ronon," I said in almost a whisper.

"Why are you so angry?" he asked as he continued to reach for me.

I lashed out at him," Because you're jealous! You're jealous of Daniel!"

My words must have surprised him. He stopped in his tracks. He replied," I am not."

"Don't lie to me, Ronon. I'm not in the mood," I stated.

He withdrew as he said," I'm not jealous. I don't get jealous." With that, he left.

"Yeah, right. You don't get jealous. You just act like a crazy man..." I sighed.


	29. Explanations & Unfair Goodbyes

**A/N: T, those are some funny lines, and I'm glad that you liked them as much as me! Thank you again for your review! Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Reviews are love!**

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The next morning, I woke to my door chiming. I rubbed my eyes, and looked at the clock next to my bed. 0547. Really? Really?! Who could that be?

I sat up, and started toward my door, saying," Ronon, if that's you, I swear..." I opened the door, to see Daniel standing there. I muttered," Not Ronon..."

"Hi...I'm sorry, I woke you, didn't I?" he said, suddenly glancing at his watch.

I rubbed my eyes as I yawned," No, I was just..."

"I didn't realize what time it was...I'm so sorry!" he apologized.

"Please, come in Daniel and tell me what's going on," I yawned again.

He came in quickly and turned to face me. He said," I'll be as quick as possible so that you can sleep."

I shrugged as I stated," I'm awake now."

He began explaining his visit," After I left you last night, I started to do some extensive research on the Gifted. I discovered some interesting things. You mentioned that you were attacked by a man who was bitten by the iratus bug, right?" I nodded as I sat down to listen. He continued," It turns out, that he wouldn't have fed on you, if he knew what you were. Instead, they fear people like you."

"What do you mean, he fears people like me?" I asked, clearly confused. I wouldn't even be afraid of me, if I wasn't me.

He explained," You can see the future, but you have many other abilities that we haven't discovered yet, right? The legends of the Gifted say that they had numerous gifts, that threatened several of the more dangerous cultures or creatures. It could be that he was afraid that you had the ability to kill him, if you wanted."

"But I don't have that ability-" I started.

He cut me off by saying," Not that you know of, yet." I looked at his enthusiasm on the matter as he continued," Now, I also started to do some work on scenarios as to why Melena would want to exchange your life for her's."

"You mean, you thought of a reason why a dead woman was still alive?" I asked.

He nodded saying," Exactly! You were on to something when you asked Dr. McKay if the Wraith made Ronon see Melena's death. I think that is precisely what happened. The Wraith could have forced Ronon to see her death, so that he would believe that there was nothing left to live for. When his anger caused him to lash out against them, they saw the need for him as a runner. It could be that Melena had bartered her life, for Ronon's but after meeting you, and realizing that you were a Gifted, and if she knew that you were immune to death-"

"You mean that she knew that I would be an infinite supply of food for the Wraith and traded my life for her people and herself?" I concluded to the same thought as Daniel.

He nodded, stating," You must be careful when you go off world, or when you have visitors here. You're life will be in danger every time you meet someone new."

I chuckled for a moment, making Daniel look at me confused. I explained," The old guy who did this to me would often visit me to tell me that I was in danger. I hated that message."

Daniel smiled slightly before adding," I'm sorry that this is happening to you. There is one other thing that I need to tell you."

I waited for a moment, expecting the worse.

He stated," There are people who love you, who will protect you. Stay close to those people. Don't venture alone. There is always a risk that people will discover who you are, or what you are and will use it to their advantage, just like Melena did."

I shivered when I remembered Melena. I asked," What are you trying to tell me, Daniel?"

He took a deep breath as he said," I discovered why the Gifted are so rare to meet. They are hunted like animals. People have been known to kidnap, and sometimes murder these Gifted. Some never survive. It's believed in many cultures that if you kill the Gifted and consume them, you gain these gifts."

"That's not true is it?" I asked. I was suddenly afraid of being eaten alive.

Daniel shook his head as he replied," No. It's not true. However, people keep trying."

I suddenly wanted to throw up. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It suddenly made sense why the old guy continued to tell me that I was in danger. I found myself wishing that I had listened more closely to what he had to say when he was alive, or perhaps even asked the appropriate questions.

Daniel sat next to me, whispering," I'm sorry."

I looked at him and asked," About what?"

He sighed," For telling you news that no one wants to hear."

"But I am glad that you're a good friend enough to tell me the truth," I replied. When he looked at me, I explained," I've had it happen here, where they tried to protect me, but it backfired from them hiding the truth from me."

"You're referring to Michael, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, that..." I recalled.

He sighed," I want you to know, that I'm always here for you. Any time."

I looked at him and stated," It sounds like you're leaving." He broke eye contact with me to stare at the floor. I stood up from my seat. I practically shouted," You're leaving?"

He tried to calm me down as he spoke," I'm sorry."

I shook my head as he stood up to approach me. I cried," But...You just got here!"

He reached out for me, and pulled me into his embrace, saying," I have no choice. I'm sorry. I've got a mission that they need my help with."

"I know...you're important there, but I need you too, Daniel!" I cried.

He rubbed my back as he said," I'm sorry. I was hoping for more time."

"Then stay!" I spoke as I tried to reason with him.

He shook his head and replied," I can't. I'm sorry. I'll try to visit again soon."

I sniffled," When? How will I manage to do this without you?"

He pushed his cheek against my head, saying," I'll still be with you, and I'll be sure to call you as often as I can."

I pulled away from his hold, whispering," It's not the same."

"I'm sorry, Ricky. I really do wish that I could stay. I can't protect you, but I know that those you have here will. Stick close to them," he said softly.

Before I could say anything more, before we could say our good-byes properly, Daniel was beamed away to the ship that would take him home. I shouted," Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me! What the hell is wrong with you people? Why would you do that? Huh?! What the hell have I done to you?!"

I realized that I was shouting pretty loudly, but I couldn't believe that they would be so cold-hearted that they wouldn't allow us to say good-bye. Daniel was my friend, my true friend, and yet, they won't let me spend some time with him...

As I continued to shout in anger, the chime to my door went off. I shouted at the door," What?"

A voice on the other end replied," Are you all right?"

I walked to the door, opened it and glared at Sheppard. I asked," What do you want?"

He looked taken back by my lashing out as he asked," What's the matter with you?"

I sighed heavily," I'm sorry, John. I'm just pissed off that each time someone uses that damned ship, they get beamed away before I'm able to say good-bye."

Sheppard nodded as he replied," I understand. They do that to me all the time."

"Really?" I asked.

He replied," Well, except that I'm not saying good-bye...I'm mostly insulting them."

I chuckled as I could picture him doing so. His joke calmed me down, and I asked him," What can I do for you?"

He smiled and stated," That's the nice person I know..." I rolled my eyes, as he continued," Well, we have some people coming for a visit...I was hoping that perhaps you would be kind enough to keep some of them company?"

"Who are these people?" I asked.

"They are scientists from one of our off-world sites. I'm not sure of the exact location. You would have to talk to Weir and McKay, but if I remember correctly, they've saved our lives with their technology. I guess McKay is hoping that they will share their knowledge if we bring them here to prove that Atlantis exists."

"Sounds risky to me," I pointed out.

Sheppard nodded as he agreed," I'm not completely sold on it myself, but I think that we have the advantage." I stood there staring at him. He couldn't possibly be that naive. I thought that I was the young, inexperienced one that was prone to naivety, but apparently, I was wrong.

After I agreed to be the designated tour guide, Sheppard left me alone, to continue stewing about the lack of good-byes. I realized that I wasn't as annoyed anymore. I wanted to still be angry about it, but it didn't matter anymore. I shook my head, and sat down. I looked around my room, and my eyes fell upon something shiny on my bed. I looked at it suspiciously, but stood up and approached it.

I smirked as I identified what the object was. Sitting on my bed, was this beautiful heart necklace. The heart looked like a jade stone wrapped around a hemp cord. It was the most stunning thing that I've ever seen. I smiled as I immediately put it on. Securing it around my neck, I gently touched the stone. I had to remember to thank Daniel for leaving it for me.


	30. Creepy Guest

**A/N: Thank you T and Motherduk for your reviews! Glad that you're still enjoying the story, even though it's been a while! Makes me smile!**

**Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Reviews are love!**

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly when the light of the new day peered into my room. I stretched in bed, and sighed. I smiled, as I could feel the weight of the necklace on my neck. I touched it with my fingers, and the smile grew bigger. I sat up, and began to prepare for my day.

It didn't take me long to get myself together and out into the mess hall for breakfast. I was suddenly in a great mood. I happily grabbed some food and headed to an open table. As I sat there eating my breakfast, I watched as McKay walked in, and started to grab some food. I shouted," Hey, Rodney!"

He turned to look at me, and I waved him over. Reluctantly, he approached me. I asked," So, I hear that some of your friends are coming...what are they going to be doing here?"

He groaned," Oh, does it really matter? They're scientists...no one is ever interested in scientists."

"What is your problem? Get up on the wrong side of the world?" I asked.

McKay didn't bother to respond, instead, he retorted," And how did you're visit go with Dr. Jackson? End too soon?"

Suddenly, I realized that he was behind the short good-byes. "What did you do?"

The fact that his face dropped, as if he had gotten caught, fueled my anger as he stated guiltily," I didn't do anything."

"Did you order them to beam him up early?" I demanded to know.

McKay swallowed, but immediately turned to leave. I was about to follow him, but I heard a voice behind me say," Don't go after him, it's not worth it."

I turned to see who had suddenly joined me. It was Dr. Beckett. I replied," I just don't understand what his problem is with Daniel."

Beckett chuckled," He's jealous."

I wrinkled my brow. "Jealous? Him?"

The Scottish doctor smiled," You two bonded quite well over the past few weeks. Besides, he's always felt threatened by Dr. Jackson. It's only normal that he'd try to get him away from Atlantis as soon as possible."

I shook my head. "Tell me that it isn't normal for every man to be this stubborn."

Beckett just laughed. "Not quite all of them, my dear. There are still some of us good men left." I smiled at him as he walked away.

The time finally came that McKay's scientist friends finally showed up. When they walked through our gate, I couldn't help but wonder why they were even here. I knew that we could most likely learn a lot from them, but why would they teach us anything? What was in it for them?

The apparent leader of the group, walked up to us and said," Hello, my dear friends. It has been a long time."

Weir smiled as she replied," It has been, indeed. Welcome to Atlantis."

I noticed that there were only four alien scientists, including the leader, but there was one in particular that made all the hairs on my body stand at attention. I couldn't put my finger on why. I studied him.

This guy was shorter than the leader, but taller than the women. His dark hair was matted down in front of his eyes, and he stared at us...like he was trying to burn us alive.

"And this must be your newest member..." my eyes suddenly lifted to the leader's gaze as he continued to speak," We've heard so much about you."

I cocked my head slightly as I asked," You have?"

The man nodded," Dr. McKay has mentioned you on numerous occasions."

I couldn't help but peer behind this guy's shoulder, to glare at McKay. Why would he do that? Doesn't he realize how dangerous this is for me?

"My name is Panchet, and these are my colleagues," he began to point to each one as he made his introductions," This is Molika, Aporal, and there in the back, is Guilly." The women scientists, Molika and Aporal had nodded and smiled warmly, but when he introduced Guilly, my spine tingled and he didn't bother to be friendly towards me or anyone else, unless you consider glaring with hatred to be friendly.

Weir stated," Ricky has graciously agreed to be a tour guide for your associates while you and Dr. McKay work."

Pachet suddenly looked confused," I'm sorry, Dr. Weir, but from what Dr. McKay said, we came here to help," he looked at me," Ricky."

My mouth dropped in surprise," Wait, what?"

Weir looked just as confused. "I'm not aware of anything of this nature..." she turned to look at Rodney, who suddenly shrank in size. I'm not sure if he was trying to disappear into the floor or not, but it was amusing to watch him try. "Rodney, would you care to explain?"

I stood there, arms crossed over my chest, anxiously awaiting for McKay's excuse.

He shifted uncomfortably as he replied," Well, I might have mentioned her in a conference, and one thing led to another, and, well..."

Panchet spoke up," We agreed to try and help her with her visions."

My eyes closed in disbelief. Daniel's words were echoing in my ears. Suddenly, I wanted to strangle McKay, but from the look on Weir's face, once I opened my eyes, she would have beaten me to it.

Weir looked over at Panchet and asked," Would you and your group accompany us in the conference room? I'm going to need some clarification before we proceed."

"Of course," Panchet agreed quickly. Almost too quickly for me.

I stood there, watching all of them walk up into Weir's conference room. As they passed me by, creepy Guilly had to look at me. I shivered. There was something really wrong about this guy.


	31. Huge Risk

**A/N: Thank you T and flyingdocbrett for your reviews! I hope that this chapter will keep you coming back for more!  
Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

As I laid on my soft bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder if I should try and leave or stick around for yet another really bad scene to add to my ever-growing novel of bad luck.

The door chimed, and I sat up, half startled. I crawled out of bed and headed for the door. Upon opening it, I blinked a few times at the empty space before me.

I stepped out into the hall and looked up and down the corridor. Empty.

Suddenly confused, and extremely paranoid, I stepped backwards back into my room. As soon as the door was closed, I turned and carefully examined my room. Nothing seemed out of place or out of the ordinary. I grew increasingly nervous, almost as if I had just seen a hideous spider... and now I have the heebie jeebies.

The door chimed again. I looked over my shoulder, listening for footsteps to run away from my door. I stood there a bit longer, and the door chimed again.

Turning around to face the door, I waited for a third chime, or some sign that someone was really there. I couldn't help but feel like I was in a really bad horror movie.

When the third chime sounded, I quickly opened the door. On the other side of the door, stood Sheppard.

He looked at me with a concerned look on his face. "Hey. Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost..."

I let out a heavy sign, one that I wasn't planning on letting out. Basing the look on his face, I nodded and asked," What can I do for you, John?"

He stepped into my room. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The door closed behind him and I stated," I'm a little creeped out, to be honest."

He questioned," About what?"

"I must be going out of my mind...I'm sorry. What did you need?" I asked.

He thought for a moment before moving on," Weir asked me to come and get you...to bring you to the infirmary."

"Why?" I stretched the word out.

He scratched his head as he spoke," I guess there is some technology that these people brought with them, that they wanted to get your opinion on...to...try?"

I looked at him with a blank look on my face. "Try out...on me?"

He shrugged as he replied," I think that is what they might be looking at doing."  
"What is this...thing that they want me to try?" I questioned.

Sheppard couldn't answer me. "I don't know...but I think that Weir wanted you to come down and take a look at it yourself."

I found myself sitting on the examination table in the infirmary. Panchet stood in front of me with a piece of alien technology that could have passed as the latest palm pilot, making notes of the things that I was saying. I wanted to lie, but I spoke the truth, despite my better judgment.

"When was the last time you had a vision?" he asked me.

"Um, I think it was a few weeks ago." I didn't want to get too specific, but it's not like I mark them on a calendar or anything.

He punched a few things into his hand held do-hickey. "Was this latest vision one that you couldn't remember?"

Once more, I didn't have an answer, as I don't write each one down, so I just shrugged.

At that moment, Panchet pulled out a syringe and set it down on the table next to the examination table that I was sitting on. He explained," The contents inside this syringe hold the ability to capture your visions onto our recording devices."

I looked at the long needle then forced myself to look up at him. "How does that work, exactly?"

"Well, it's nano-technology. You are familiar with that, correct?" Panchet asked.

I heard McKay laugh," You think she's familiar with- you're joking, right?"

I turned my head to my left to look at McKay. He shrunk back in his little shell, before I got up from that table to beat him up.

Panchet asked," So, is this something that you'd like to try?"

"I'm sorry, but could you explain this a little more?" I pondered.

Panchet focused on me, ignoring McKay's giggles. "The nanos are linked with our systems. Once a vision is activated, it responds with your visual synapses and transmits the signal to the computer system, here." He held up his device.

I cleared my throat," So, you give me the shot, and if I have a vision, you'll see it?" He nodded and I asked," So, how long does the shot last?"

He replied," Each shot lasts approximately twelve hours."

"Twelve hours?" I asked, with more shock in my voice than I had intended.

He smiled. "It's perfectly safe. If you don't get a vision, then it won't do any damage. If you do get a vision, and if it shows up, then we can establish a better way to help you control them. If you get a vision and it doesn't show up, then we need to make the appropriate changes to our settings to help you."

I sat there, thinking this through. It was a huge risk. Now it came down to knowing whether or not it was even worth pursuing.

Panchet asked," So, are you ready to do this?"

I'm not sure why, but I nodded. I really didn't want to do it, but I realized that I had agreed to this, before I really had time to think about it, all of it. The pros and cons were there, but I wouldn't get the chance to think about them until after.

As Panchet began to inject his nano-solution into my upper right arm, I glanced behind him and my eyes met the ones on his creepy helper, Guilly. He was staring at me, practically pouring into my soul. Something bad was going to come of this, I'm sure.


	32. Something Goes Wrong

**A/N: Thank you, flyingdocbrett, for you review! I think I have asked myself that very same question about Weir, even in watching the shows, and as I am writing new situations. I think it's safe to say that she is an engima! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

The first few hours passed, and I sat in the infirmary, having tests performed by Panchet's assistants, Molika and Aporal. They didn't speak to me, nor to anyone, from what I'd seen. They wouldn't even tell me what they were doing, which quite honestly, is annoying!

By the time they finally gave me the clear to leave the infirmary, I was so tired. I couldn't get out of that area fast enough. I really wish that I didn't need to spend all of my time in that cursed place.

I headed for the one place that I knew that I could be safe...my room.

On my trek to my room of solitude, I thought about calling up Daniel for some advice. I wondered if that was even an option. As I rounded the corner, deep in thought, I collided with a body. Stumbling back a step, I commented, "I'm sorry...it seems to be a habit of mine...bumping into people."

"It's okay. How are you feeling?" the unfamiliar voice asked.

I looked up from my stupor, and saw the ever creepy, Guilly. Crap.

"Are you okay?" he asked me again. Beady eyes glaring at me through his matted hair.

I shuddered as I was standing so close to him. "I'm fine. Sorry for bumping into you." I tried to walk away, but Guilly grabbed my arm.

I whirled around, yanking my arm away from him. "Get off me!"

He tried to grab my arm again, but he didn't get the chance. A familiar growl was heard, before I saw Guilly being tossed backwards from me. I watched as he landed on the ground. My eyes flittered up to meet the eyes of my silent protector. "Ronon..."

He turned to look at me. "Are you okay?" I nodded.

Guilly stood up from the floor, practically shouting, "What is wrong with you?"

Ronon turned his attention back to Guilly. "You are never to touch her again...now get out of here!"

Guilly was smart, in that he didn't need to be told twice with Ronon standing there. We both watched as he quickly walked away from us.

It wasn't until Guilly was out of our sight that Ronon asked me, "What happened? Why was he grabbing you like that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, Ronon. He has given me the creeps ever since he showed up."

"Creeps?" he asked. I wasn't sure if what he wanted was a definition of the word, or if he was amused by my choice of words.

I started to walk towards my room, and this time, Ronon followed me. I felt at ease knowing that he was there with me. When we finally arrived to my door, Ronon was ready to leave but I stopped him by grabbing his muscled arm. "Wait...stay...please."

Ronon looked at my hand on his arm, then up to my eyes.

I looked into his dark eyes, pleadingly. "Stay, Ronon. I'm scared."

Ronon nodded and followed me into my room.

That night, I was wrapped in Ronon's arms securely. It felt nice to have someone who cared be there in a protective way. I wasn't used to it but I certainly could be, if this became a habit.

He was sleeping, as I could hear soft snores escape his mouth. I couldn't help but smile.

Without warning, I felt the surge of the vision come at me. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I'm not sure how to explain this vision. I felt like I was being tortured. It was dark, and I couldn't really see anything, but I could feel and hear everything, as if I were living it at that very moment. Then I heard a voice speak to me out from the darkness. I couldn't really understand the words, as I'm not sure if they were being spoken in English, but the sound of that voice was recognizable.

My eyes flew open and I heard Ronon gasp. I'm not sure why, if it was due to him being shocked, or scared. Whatever the reason, he held onto me as I shuddered out of the vision.

Ronon whispered, "Are you okay? What did you see?"

I tried to speak, but my voice cracked, "Why do I hurt?" I know that normally, I am in so much pain after a vision, but this time, I felt like my body had been run through the ringer.

Ronon whispered again, but this time, there was a tinge of fear in his voice, "Ricky, you're bleeding."

"What?" I asked, clearly not with it, as my eyes started to close.

Ronon stated, "We need to get you to Beckett. Something is really wrong."

I wasn't sure what he meant, but I knew that he was on to something. I felt him pick me up and head for the door.


	33. On Screen

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews, flyingdocbrett and T! I love the reviews and the questions! It makes me happy to see that my readers are so into the story that they want to know what is going on! I hope that this chapter will answer some of the questions, and have you coming back for more!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

In the infirmary, I could hear Panchet shouting excitedly, "It's a success! The experiment works!"

I felt Ronon place me on the examination table. Beckett approached us. He asked concerned, "What happened?"

"Another vision. Something's wrong, though. Look at her!" Ronon stated, as he motioned in my direction.

"My God...what happened to her?" I heard Beckett ask.

I couldn't help it any longer. I muttered, "What is it? What's happened to me?"

Panchet approached us, still excited. He shouted happily, "The experiment worked!" Then he gazed down at me. He asked, "What happened to her?"

Ronon suddenly grabbed Panchet by the shirt collar and started to push him towards the wall as he shouted, "What did you do to her?"

"Ronon! Stop!" My voice cracked from pain. I wasn't even sure if he was the problem, of course, I didn't know what the problem was...All I knew was the amount of pain that I was in.

Panchet replied in a scared and panicked voice, "What are you doing? I didn't do anything to her!"

Sheppard happened to be walking in as Ronon slammed Panchet against the wall. He grabbed Ronon and ordered, "Ronon! Let him go!"

Ronon snarled, "He did something to her...look at her! She's bleeding!"

Sheppard had looked my way, but continued, "Ronon...let him go. Let's talk about this."

Beckett distracted me by asking, "How did this happen?"

I tried to recall what happened when I was brought in. "I had a vision...why do I hurt so much?"

Beckett knew that I wasn't referring to the vision pain but the pain from all over. He stated, "You look like you've been beaten. You're bruised and bleeding from several cuts all over your body."

Now I was confused. I seemed to be confused more often since these people came through the gate. I didn't see the connection between my visions and the sudden cuts and bruises that were appearing on my body.

While I was distracted by Beckett, Sheppard had managed to calm Ronon down enough to get Panchet out of his grip. Another thing that Sheppard managed to accomplish while I was explaining my confusion, was to get McKay and Weir to join the party in the infirmary.

Weir came over to Beckett and me "What happened?"

Beckett just shrugged. That's when Panchet spoke up, "We can see it for ourselves!"

Everyone looked over at Panchet's sudden outburst. We all anxiously awaited for him to continue his thoughts. When he just looked at us, we realized that we would need to spell it out for him. Weir asked, "See it how?"

"Her vision happened during the twelve hour window. I have it recorded on this," he stated as he held his little palm pilot thingy.

As Beckett started to patch me up, Panchet pulled up the recording on his machines and started to play back what I had just lived.

Watching the vision again, but this time without the pain, I could really focus on what I was seeing. When the voice started to speak from within the darkness, I still couldn't place why the voice sounded so familiar. I had heard it before, but why was I drawing a blank? It didn't help that the voice seemed so far away and a little muffled.

Suddenly, the video ended. Everyone stood there staring at the screen. Within moments, all pairs of eyes were on me.

"What?" I couldn't help but awkwardly asked.

Weir slowly approached me. "I think we've figured out how you got all of your bruises and cuts."

I looked down at the bandages that Beckett put on my arms. I asked, "But we don't know who that person talking is, do we?"

Ronon stared at the screen. I could tell he was still thinking about something. Panchet spoke, as I continued to watch Ronon, "We could do a voice analysis, but that might not be needed if we keep her here in Atlantis."

"So, no missions for me, huh? For how long?" I pondered. I thought this idea was stupid.

Panchet replied in question, "Well, how long after you have a vision does it happen?"

I studied him, with an apparent stupid look on my face. "What? I don't know...I don't keep track." Which was extremely true, as I tried to forget them once they happened...of course, with the amount of pain flowing through my body, it makes it difficult to forget.

Ronon glared over at Panchet. I suddenly felt scared for our guest. The look in his dark eyes flashed with so much anger. I tried to speak, "Ronon?"

When everyone looked at Ronon, it was too late. He grabbed Panchet by the shirt collar and slammed him against the examination trays. Sheppard immediately grabbed Ronon, and tried to get him off the scientist. Ronon released the scared man, but shouted, "You better watch yourself!"

Weir tried to calm him down. "Ronon! Would you mind explaining what you are doing? What has gotten into you?"

Ronon growled, but didn't say anything. I looked between the angry Ronon, being held by Sheppard, to the scared and immobilized Panchet.

When Weir realized that Ronon wasn't going to explain his sudden outburst, she stated, "Ronon, I think you need to leave and calm down." When Ronon looked briefly over at her, she said, "Now, Ronon."

With another growl, Ronon shook Sheppard off of him, and stormed out of the infirmary.

Weir looked at Panchet and apologized, "I am so sorry that he did that...I promise that we'll find out why he attacked you."

Panchet cleared his throat, straightening his clothes. "It's perfectly all right. I'm sure that he is just upset at what he saw on the screen."

I was now intrigued. There had to be a reason why Ronon would attack Panchet after seeing that vision on the recorded screen. I had to ask him, so I looked at Beckett. "Is there any other reason you need me? Can I go now?"

Beckett nodded and whispered to me, "Just be careful. Ronon doesn't usually attack people for no reason."

"I know. I intend to find out from him what just happened," I whispered back.

Beckett spoke louder so that others could hear, "I'm releasing you for the day. Just be prepared to come back in, should we need to run more tests."

I smiled at his discretion. I whispered, "Thanks, Carson!" I hopped off the examination table and headed out to search for the angry Ronon.


	34. Caught in the Middle

**A/N: Thank you, T and flyingdocbrett for your reviews! This chapter will answer some more of your questions!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

I have learned that trying to track a man who is super skilled at not being found is very difficult. I searched for him all over Atlantis for hours. Determined to find him, I didn't stop, even though I really wanted to. I walked through the same areas, over and over again. Why couldn't he be as easy to find as Rodney?

I finally needed to rest as I was getting tired of walking around searching for someone who clearly didn't want to be found. I sat down on the bench outside on the balcony, trying to determine where Ronon would have gone. Maybe he left on a mission, and I didn't hear about it.

A voice spoke to my left. "I see you've been released from the infirmary."

I looked up quickly, to see Guilly standing there. "What are you doing here?"

I realized that this was a stupid question, but I really did want to know why he was on the balcony as I hadn't seen him in a long while. Not since the time he grabbed my arm...crap. I had almost forgotten about that creepy attack!

He slowly started to walk towards me. "How are you faring?"

"Excuse me?" I asked. I suddenly found myself fighting the urge to jump up from my seat and run away.

"I heard about your vision. How's your wounds?" he asked in his disturbing voice.

I couldn't help it at this point, I stood up. "I'm fine, thanks."

I tried to leave, but suddenly felt that familiar grasp on my upper arm.

"Wait," he suggested.

I had no choice but to look at him. I waited. Since he wasn't going to continue, I asked, "What do you want from me?"

Guilly smiled that creepy smile. "I know what you are. I know what you are capable of. I can help you."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, as I tried to pull away from him, but to no avail.

Guilly gave me a different smile that ran chills down my spine. "You know that Dr. McKay already told us about your gifts...hence our arrival, but you don't know how to handle them. You don't even know how to make the most of them."

"And you do?" I asked skeptically.

He smiled at me, mocking me, as his beady eyes peered from under his matted hair, burned into me. "I do...that is something that has taken me years of research to obtain."

"What are you talking about, creep?!" I shouted, finally freeing my arm from his grasp. Just his way of saying research, suddenly had me on edge.

As I backed away from him, he said, "You're not the only one who they call, 'Gifted'."

The shock in my eyes must have been obvious. "You're a Gifted?"

He laughed sinisterly as he replied, "No, no...I'm not a Gifted. I've studied them. I am gifted in my methods of research. The best, some might say..."

I felt myself stepping towards the door. "Studied them?"

"Yes, under the supervision of a greater mind," he grinned.

"Greater mind?" I was starting to get confused.

He smiled, but didn't clarify. Instead, the voice behind me did. "He means that he studies under me."

My eyes grew wide. It was the voice from the vision. I started to turn around to face the boss of the creep squad and found that my gaze had fallen upon Panchet.

I suddenly felt trapped in between the two. I had nowhere to run. "What do you want from me?"

Panchet explained, "Guilly did a fine job explaining it, I thought. So, why don't you be a good little girl and just come with us."

"Why would I willingly go with you?" I questioned.

He smiled as he suggested, "It would be in your best interest not to fight us."

Two hands from behind me grabbed my arms firmly. I knew it was Guilly. I was now officially in trouble.


	35. Dark Rooms Lead to Dark Times

**A/N: Thank you for your review, flyingdocbrett! I'm glad you're still enjoying this story! I apologize in advance for this dark chapter!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

I'm not sure where I was when the bag came off my head. It was an extremely dark room with a light blinding me.

I squinted as I looked around the room for any signs of life or danger. For some reason, I kept expecting to see Tom, the old man, to pop up and tell me that I was in danger...it would have been late, but at least it would continue our traditions.

Panchet's voice echoed in the dark room, "I hope this room is adequate enough for your comfort."

"Why are you suddenly concerned about my comfort? And on a side note, why are you suddenly becoming a facetious jerk?" I asked sarcastically. Hey, two can play this game...three if Guilly the Creep was still listening.

Panchet laughed and he said, "I see that your sense of humor is still as great as ever!"

"Why are you hiding in the dark? Afraid of my seeing you for what you really are?" I asked. Why was I suddenly becoming an irritating person? Was I trying to get myself killed?

I heard footsteps approaching from within the dark. "Is this better for you?" he asked as he emerged from the darkness.

I didn't bother answering him. Instead, I was already praying to Sheppard to come and rescue me...I wanted to say that he needed to bring Ronon with him, so that he could kill these guys.

"Let me say that it is an absolute privilege to get to examine you," Panchet started to explain.

I couldn't help myself and asked, "What do you mean? You don't normally know your test subjects personally?"

He laughed. "Of course not. You are the first we've been able to actually meet in person before kidnapping them."

"How many have you studied?" I couldn't help but ask.

Panchet walked around me as he explained, "Studied is such a loose description of what we really do."

I swallowed and realized that I was tied to the chair that they had placed me in. I hadn't noticed the binds before now. I asked, "So, do you mind explaining to me what it is that you really do?"

"There are some tests that we perform but it's really more of a dissection," he admitted.

I clenched my fingers on the arms of the chair. "What kind of dissection are you referring?"

Suddenly, Guilly was standing next to me holding a syringe. Panchet continued, "For example, we're going to take your eyes out and ingest them." Gross.

"You do realize that by eating my eyes, doesn't mean that you're going to get the ability to see the future. I should point out to you that even if you did get the ability to see the future, it would suck!" I stated.

Guilly laughed as he said, "It's not really about that..."

"Then what is it?" I questioned.

Panchet lowered himself to look deep into my eyes as he stated, "There's really no explaining it to you, but since you've been so determined to know, I'll tell you this..."

As he spoke, Guilly began to inject the solution in the syringe into my neck. My neck of all places! Do you realize how much that hurts?!

Panchet continued, "The solution that Guilly just injected into you will allow us to use your organs that we're going to harvest, to be able to recreate your gifts."

I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't realize that it was even possible for someone to harvest my insides and use them against me...well, to use the gifts the way they were talking about.

Panchet continued, "You are the first Gifted that we've run across that has no idea what they truly are. We've had so many problems with the ones in the past. We haven't been able to continue our research on them before they've disappeared or killed themselves. This is a rare treat for us that you haven't figured things out until now."

I suddenly realized that he was calling me stupid. I was furious. Now, I really wanted the gang to come in, guns blazing and kill these guys...however, I realized that I was still praying for them, and yet no one was coming. Where were they? Playing cards!?

Panchet chuckled as he added, "Oh, and if I were you, I wouldn't bother praying that your friend would come for you. He's here already."

My eyes shot up to meet his. "What?"

Panchet turned my chair to face another one across the darkened room. There, strapped to a chair, was Ronon. "You see," Panchet stated, "He can't help you anymore than you can help yourself, but it will be so entertaining to hear him shout and complain as he watches your demise."

"You've seriously got some issues. I think you need to some help," I stated.

"I will have all of the time to resolve my...issues, once we're finished with you," Panchet stated.

I looked at Ronon. He was sitting in his chair, silently watching Panchet with killer eyes. My eyes pleaded with him to calm me somehow. Before I could see what he was doing, Panchet turned my chair to face him.

I asked, "What are you going to do?" I understood what he was going to do, but I wanted to know how he was going to start.

Guilly began to unwrap my bandages on my arms. As soon as he got one of the bandages off, he stopped. He stared at my skin. I looked at him, suddenly confused as to why he stopped. He looked just as confused as I was. He got up, still staring at me. He began to say, "Panchet? We might have a slight problem."

Panchet sighed. "What?"

Guilly held the bloody bandage in his right hand, and pointed to my arm. "She's a healer."

My eyes grew wide. I realized that by his reaction, they hadn't run across something like this, like me, before. I also had the epiphany moment...by knowing that I'm now officially screwed.

Panchet asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean she's a healer?"

Guilly pointed to my arm again as he explained, "I just took this bandage off...there's not a mark on her."

"I saw the wounds when she came in for those bandages," Panchet recalled. He approached me and touched my arm, as if I had the wounds hidden somehow.

Guilly asked, "How is that possible? We've never seen this before..."

Panchet stated, "Well, this will make the experiments much more interesting." He stood straight up and peered over his left shoulder to look at Ronon as he stated, "It should be exciting to watch as we strip your friend of her skin."

Guilly continued to look at my arm as he continued to remove the rest of the bandages. His eyes suddenly fell upon my jade necklace, the one that Daniel gave me. He continued to stare at it, as he reached for it.  
I'm not sure why, but I flinched from his touch. I didn't want him to take it...and I knew that trying to flinch away from him was futile as I couldn't move much as it was, being tied to the chair and all.

He grabbed the stone and pulled it off my neck, which the cord slightly burned my neck as it was ripped off. I whimpered as I heard the snap of the cord.

Guilly stared at the jade heart that sat in his hand. He looked up at me, asking, "What is the significance of this?"

I looked up at him and replied, "It's a necklace..."

"Is this how you heal?" he questioned. What kind of question was that? I wanted to ask him if he was the idiot after all.

Panchet shouted, "Guilly! Let's get this moving!"

Guilly tossed the necklace to the side and it slid towards Ronon's feet. He said, "We're ready, Panchet."

Panchet approached me. I noticed that he was holding something shiny. This couldn't be good.

I whispered, "Don't do this...it's not worth it."

"Not worth it for whom? You?" he chuckled as he continued, "I've heard this speech before. 'Don't do this, please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything'. You know, there hasn't been one person who has said this that I believed that I could just let them live without my experiments."

I sighed. There was no point in continuing to reason with him. He was going to cut me open and steal all of my insides. All I could do was pray that Sheppard would really hear me before it was too late. He needed to save both Ronon and me...unless a miracle happened, but my luck sucks, so I know that it would have to be the former.

Panchet lowered down to me level and I saw what the shiny object was...a scalpel. With a little pressure, he pricked the skin on my right arm. Blood bubbled out of the small wound.

I was confused as to why he just stood there and watched the wound with anticipation. Within a few moments, his reaction told me that something was happening. I looked down at my right arm at the wound, and watched as the skin closed up.

The look on Panchet's face had turned from surprise into absolute madness. He smiled like a Cheshire Cat. I knew that this was really bad.


	36. The Light Appears

**A/N: So sorry that it has taken me this long to update! It's been crazy busy with the holidays and all. I'll be out of internet next week, so I will try to post a few chapters before that happens! **

**Thank you to flyingdocbrett and T for your reviews! I'm glad that you're still reading! After this chapter, I hope that my next few plot ideas will be just as good to keep you coming back!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

He tried cutting my arm again, but this time, he cut a longer scratch down my arm. I whimpered in pain and fear, as I wasn't sure exactly how much he was planning on toying with me.

I wouldn't have to wait much longer to find out. I heard the snapping sound of ropes and Guilly shouting like a scared child, "He's loose! Panchet!"

We both looked over to see that Ronon had already gotten a hold of Guilly. Ronon tossed Guilly across the room, rendering him unconscious. Panchet realized that Ronon was coming after him next. He quickly moved his scalpel up to my neck and shouted, "Stay where you are, Ronon! I will not hesitate to kill her!"

I inhaled sharply, as soon as the cool steel blade touched my warm skin.

Ronon stated angrily, "Think long about your decision, Panchet. I will not hesitate to break your neck."

Panchet glared at him before challenging, "You do not understand the importance of this experiment! By doing our experiments, we could save hundreds of lives."

"Except your own if you harm her," Ronon pointed out again.

The lights in the darkened room flickered on, catching Panchet and me, off guard. Ronon had seen the brief moment of distraction. He lunged forward, but Panchet sliced my neck as they tumbled to the ground. As they fought on the floor, struggling for the upper hand, Sheppard and a group of men came barging into the room.

Lorne helped me out of the bondage. Once I was freed from the chair, he noticed my neck and pulled out a small travel sized medical gauze and placed it on my cut, providing me with the adequate amount of pressure to help slow the bleeding.

I watched as Ronon had grabbed Panchet from behind, holding him in a headlock. Ronon asked, "Do you have anything else to say, before I kill you?"

Panchet stated, "I'll tell you now, I won't be the last person to follow through with my plans. There are others that would have succeeded where I have clearly failed."

Sheppard replied, "You'll pay for what you did. We've already called the authorities of your planet."

"I'll be released before you even close connection with our planet," Panchet said smugly.

Ronon stated, "You won't have the chance to go home."

I watched as Ronon followed through with his initial threat. The bone-cracking sound was extremely loud and Panchet's body fell lifeless to the floor. Sheppard sighed, but didn't say anything.

Sheppard looked at me, as Lorne helped me stand up. He asked, "Are you okay?"

I nodded and stated, "Thanks to Ronon and your timely arrival...thank you."

Sheppard grabbed Guilly by the arm, with Lorne on the other side, and they escorted him to the gate room for the authorities to take him home.

Ronon approached me and asked, "Are you all right?"  
"I really am...I'm glad that everyone continues to ask me that, but I hope that you'll let it go soon," I stated. I didn't want to relive those moments of being asked every five minutes if I am okay.

He said, "I am sorry that I didn't take care of them before this happened."

"It's okay, Ronon," I replied, "You did know that it was them though, didn't you?"

"From your vision, yes. I recognized the voice and knew that their experiments weren't accurate as they claimed," he explained.

I nodded as I asked, "Thank you again...how'd you get out of your bondages?"

He smiled as he stated, "I had a knife hidden. They didn't find it."

"That's a good trick," I smiled back as I held the gauze to my neck.

He held his hand out before whispering, "I believe that this belongs to you."

I held my palm out to him and he placed my jade heart necklace in my hand. He smiled as I sighed, "Thanks. I'm glad that it wasn't broken."

"I'm happy that you've been wearing it," he flirted. He flirted? I guess that he really was flirting...

"Wait, this was from you?" I asked surprised.

He didn't have to say a word, but just smiled and continued to walk me towards the infirmary.


	37. The Find

**A/N: So sorry that it has taken me so long to update! With being gone from the holidays and getting a new computer (which still needs Word installed etc), I finally have a moment or three to spare in updating all of my stories!**

**I hope you are still enjoying this story, and will continue to follow and review!**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

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It's been over a week since the incident with Panchet and Guilly, yet it still seems so fresh in my mind. I had never experienced something like that before, and I prayed that I'd never have to again. I was so angry with Rodney after it happened, and I know that he felt bad, but I still was shocked that he could even do a thing like that...

I tried to keep away from him as much as possible, to protect him from my anger, but my luck had me bumping into him all the time. Atlantis was a pretty sizeable place, yet here we were, running into each other. After a few days of trying to avoid him, I got over it, and realized that we're all learning. We didn't know that the 'friends' we made were going to do the things they did.

I walked down the corridor to head to Weir's office. She had called a team meeting and I was going to make sure that I got there somewhat early. Weir liked to give me that disappointed look when I would run a couple minutes late, so I started to surprise her with my punctuality.

I walked into the gate room, and started up the steps to her office. When I turned and headed in, the gate started to activate. Weir noticed that I was early, and stated, "The meeting isn't for another ten minutes, Ricky."

I smiled at her as I replied, "I know, but I was in the neighborhood." I really wasn't, but I can't tell her that.

Weir smiled a little but stood up to see who was coming through the gate. I joined her, as I felt a little uncomfortable just standing in her empty office.

We stood on the balcony that overlooked the gate room, and watched as members of my team walked through...wait, my team? Why were they on a mission, and I wasn't?

Sheppard was the first one through, followed closely by Teyla. I watched as something big was on the rover, coming in behind them, with Ronon and McKay pushing it. I looked down at them, then at Weir. I had to ask her. "So, what did I miss?"

She glanced over at me. "I know what you're thinking, but they had gone to help Lorne and his team. It wasn't anything of super importance that you needed to be there for."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. I wasn't sure that I bought her reasons. Everyone except me had gone...so why? What was on that rover, under the tarp?

Weir shouted to the team, "Briefing in five minutes!" They nodded and left to get ready. She turned to me and asked, "Shall we?"

I followed her into her office, and felt like I was a kid again, getting sent to the principal's office. I wanted to tell her that whatever it was, I didn't do it. As we sat there, in dead silence, she began poking around on her tablet that sat on her desk.

I figured that she was probably playing some card game, as she usually did when she was bored. I suddenly wished that I had a Gameboy or something...

The moment that I thought about leaving and coming back, the team joined us. Thankfully, earlier than five minutes! I didn't think that I could stay another moment alone with her and the increasingly awkward silence.

They took their seats, and Weir asked, "So, how did it go?"

Sheppard started, "It was rough, but we were able to get it here, as you saw."

"The whole thing?" she questioned.

I didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about, so I waited a little longer, thinking that eventually they would be a little less conspicuous on what it was...whatever it was.

Weir asked, "Does it work?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Well, it's not like we tried it out or anything..."

I finally raised my hand, like I was in school all over again, asking for permission to speak. Weir looked at me amused, "Yes, Ricky?"

I lowered my hand, feeling everyone's eyes on me. "What are we talking about?"

Weir inhaled sharply, as if she were afraid to tell me what was going on, but slowly began, "We found another alter."

Wait, what? I looked at her stunned. "Alter? Like the one...the one Melena had used?"

She nodded and replied, "Lorne found it on his last mission, and we thought that if we could study it, we might learn more about what it is supposed to do."

I blinked. "Um...it's supposed to kill people."

Rodney replied, "Yes, but there is so much more to it than just that. If I can isolate what it's true purpose is-"

I cut him off by repeating, "It's supposed to kill people. It nearly killed me!" I looked to Ronon for support on the matter, and he didn't say anything, as usual...jerk.

Weir tried to calm me down. "We understand that it has a lot of risks-"

"Who are you going to test this alter thingy on? It's not like we have any lab rats available," I pointed out.

Teyla whispered to Sheppard, "Lab rats?"

Sheppard whispered back, "I'll explain it later."

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I'm saying. I don't think I'm ready to climb back on that thing and have the life sucked away from me again. Is it safe to even have here?" I was suddenly curious to think that maybe this alter could be tracked by the Wraith, or whoever built them. If it could be tracked, I certainly didn't want it here.

Weir replied, "I had the team look it over thoroughly before bringing it here. There was nothing unusual about it."

I piped in, "Except that it kills people?"

I could see the frustration on Weir's face. She said, "Ricky, I would like to speak to Sheppard and the others alone for a moment."

I stood up. "Yeah, I saw that coming. Let me know when I need to strap myself to it again for your amusement." I stormed out of her office.


	38. Visions of a Familiar Face

**A/N: Thank you fan, guest and Traya001 for your reviews! I love your questions and pushing for updates! They are awesome!**

**I'm sorry it took me a while to update, but here it is.**

**Enjoy! Reviews are love!**

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I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Why would they bring something like that here? What could they possibly learn from something like that? Wasn't my being unable to function as a normal...well, okay, normal as I can be, for a few weeks be enough? I shuddered at the memory of what I went through regarding that thing.

I walked down the stairs of the gate room and headed toward my thinking place, my balcony. When I finally got there, I stared out across the vast ocean before me. I sighed heavily, trying to make sense of everything.

The more that I stared out into the landscape before me, the darker it seemed to get. I blinked a few times, trying to see more clearly. Suddenly, I felt the surge of pain hit me like a cement truck.

I collapsed to the floor, convulsing as images flashed before my eyes.

I don't remember much except for a familiar face. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a bright light. I could feel hands on me, and a husky voice ask, "Ricky? Are you all right?"

When the bright light faded, the world around me started to return to normal. I blinked a couple of times, and then looked up to see Ronon over me. He asked again, "Are you all right? Can you see?"

I furrowed my brow. "Why wouldn't I be able to see?"

He explained, "Your eyes were completely white for a moment."

"What?" I asked, confused. How would that be possible. The only time eyes are completely white is when they are...blind. Crap.

He could see that I made the connection and changed the subject. "What did you see?"

I sat up, thinking about my vision. When I remembered the only thing that I could, that face, I looked at Ronon. I whispered, "I saw him."

"Who?" he asked.

I bit my lip before replying, "Michael."

I sat on the bed in the infirmary, as Beckett examined me. He shined his light into my eyes, then stated the obvious, She still has her vision. Whatever blindness that she experienced was temporary."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the spots that would most likely stick around for a while. I looked over at Weir and the others. I waited for someone to ask me more silly questions, that I would be unable to answer.

"You saw Michael?" Weir asked me for the tenth time.

"Yes." I was getting tired of that one.

"In human form?" she questioned.

I shook my head. "No...he was part Wraith."

"Part Wraith?" McKay asked, trying to hold in his laughter at the lack of descriptive words.

I glared at him. "Yes, Rodney...part Wraith." I rolled my eyes.

Rodney didn't give me any slack as he continued, "How does one become part Wraith? He's not a cat!"

Teyla must have seen the look that I was giving him, as she quietly requested that he follow her out of the room. I had to remind myself to thank her later.

Sheppard asked, "So, could it be that he was partly changed, due to the retrovirus?"

Beckett mused for a moment. "That could be exactly what it is. We don't know what the retrovirus is capable of yet."

As I sat there, I suddenly remembered something that might be important. I stated, "If it helps, I think he was on a planet with lots of trees..."

Everyone was staring at me. I knew that it was a silly thing to mention, as I wasn't sure how this was going to be helpful.

I could see it now...they'd tell me not to go to any planet with trees. Yeah...that's going to be fun. _Does the planet have trees? Why yes, it does. Sorry Ricky, but you can't go._

Regardless of what I had said, Weir inhaled before saying, "Well, for now, I think it's safe to say that you should stick around Atlantis until we know what to do."

Sheppard stated, "We don't even know if the vision with Michael will even happen, or if it will, what time frame. It could happen months from now, or days."

Weir added, "Or it could happen tomorrow. I'm restricting gate activity until we know more. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. I felt guilty by having everyone stuck in Atlantis. Then I remembered something else, completely irrelevant to the vision. I asked, "So, what are we doing with this alter thingy?"


	39. Growling Connections

I'm on a roll with making people angry today. People were staring at me with spiteful eyes, most likely due to the lack of gate activity until Weir was ready to open it back up. Maybe people were looking at me like that because I was asking the same question over and over, with no answer. _What are we doing with this alter?_ How hard was it to answer this simple question? I didn't get it.

I spent my afternoon sitting on my favorite balcony. I was alone, and enjoying the quiet, with the exception of the waves hitting Atlantis from below. I sighed, leaning onto my back, soaking in the sun.

I closed my eyes, as I laid there. It wasn't long before someone was blocking my light. I opened one eye, to see who was the blocker.

"Teyla?" I asked. What did she want? We hardly spent time together, aside from our sparrings.

She peered over me and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sun bathing...or trying to," I replied. Seeing the look on her face, I sat up, then stood up to be face to face with her. "What's up?"

She smiled as she spoke, "I wanted to see how you were holding up, since the meeting earlier."

I studied her face. I couldn't tell what she was really asking me. "I'm okay...why?"

Teyla walked over to the railing and peered out into the landscape. She replied, "Like you, I have concerns."

"Really?" I asked. I had a hard time believing her, as no one else seemed to think that bringing that alter here was a bad idea, but me.

Teyla nodded, looking over at me. "I'm afraid for you. I get this horrible feeling whenever I am near it."

My eyes narrowed on their own accord. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? Does anyone else feel the same way?"

She nodded as she explained, "I mentioned it on the planet where we found it. You know how Dr. McKay can be. He refused to leave without it. Ronon also mentioned his opinions on the matter."

"What was his opinion?" I wondered.

She smiled, obviously reading my mind. "He agreed with me."

"So, this thing was brought here because of McKay?" I questioned. She nodded. I scoffed, "Why didn't you guys just leave him behind?"

She raised an eyebrow as she replied, "That's exactly what Ronon wanted to do. I think that Major Sheppard was hopeful that it could be of use and Dr. Weir thought that Dr. McKay's ideas were sound."

I shook my head. "Nothing good can come from that machine."

She nodded in agreement, but said nothing more on the matter.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed. I could not get comfortable. I was afraid to sleep. I don't know why, but I felt that if I slept, I might suddenly find myself on that blasted alter. I sighed, trying to will myself to sleep.

Frustrated, I tossed the covers off and started to get dressed. Once I was dressed, I pulled my boots on, and tied them. I stood up and walked to the door, opening it, and stepping into the hallway.

I began my walk through the corridors of Atlantis, exploring places that I had yet to go. I ended up walking into the lab that housed the alter. No one was there, and the machine was humming.

It was a faint humming, but it was there, and I knew that it was on. Whether it was on in the way that if someone got on it, it would start working, or because it was sending a signal to the Wraith nearby, who could say? With this machine, it was hard to say why it was humming.

As I neared it, the hair on my body started to stand up on end. Chills ran down my spine, and I found myself terrified. I stopped walking towards it. I stared at it a little longer, then heard a growl. Wait...what? Growl? Why was this machine growling? It certainly wasn't my stomach...was it?

Another growl emerged from the alter, and I knew that was definitely not my stomach. I started to back away from it, and took off running out of the room, as the humming grew louder.

As I ran away from the lab, I realized that people were staring at me. Yes, I know, it's a little odd, seeing me running like I'm being chased by...

Wait a minute. I feel as though I've heard this growl before.

I stopped running to think it over. I glanced over my shoulder, to make sure that I wasn't just being paranoid, or if I was really being chased. There was nothing behind me.

I sighed and decided that the best plan of action should be talking to everyone about what happened. Maybe it wasn't growling...but I know that I heard that kind of growling before.


	40. Painful Theories

**A/N: Thank you wess and T for your reviews! I love cliff hangers, personally...makes you come back for more! =)**

**Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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I sat in the conference room waiting for everyone to join me. This was stupid. When Weir calls for a meeting, everyone is early, but when I call for a meeting, people meander in whenever they want. Okay, I know that she's the boss, but still...I'm part of the team still, right? Right?!

Eventually, they started to come in. Weir asked, once everyone was settled, "So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

I cleared my throat before stating, "I think the alter is responsible for the Wraith dog..."

McKay started laughing. "What? How can a machine cause a creature to spawn out of thin air? I think you've been hit one too many times in the head."

I looked at everyone hoping to see some sort emotion to tell me whether or not they believed me. I didn't see anything. So I added, "I saw the alter earlier this morning. It was humming and growling."

"It was humming because it was charging." McKay laughed at me again.

"Okay, so that would explain the humming...what's your excuse for the growling?" I questioned.

He shook his head. I could tell he was trying not to laugh at me. "I think you've been hearing things."

I sighed. "I know what I heard, Rodney."

Weir suggested, "Why don't we run some more tests on the alter, make sure there isn't anything to be worried about. Then we'll see where to go from there." She looked around the room before adding, "Sound good to everyone?"

McKay asked, "Who's going to be running the tests?" She looked at him and he mumbled, "Of course...it's always me." He glared at me for the additional work, but I didn't care. It wasn't his life on the line.

When everyone left, I started walking back to my quarters. As I approached my door, I felt the searing pain in my shoulder. The same place that I was wounded by the first dog.

I crumpled from the pain, slouching against the wall. When the pain eased, I slowly stood up. I reached the panel to my door and opened it.

Once I was across the threshold, I felt the pain again. It took me down to the floor. I cringed, willing the pain to go away again. When it did, I crawled to the mirror in my bathroom, to see what was going on.

When I peered into the mirror, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I could see the scar from the first Wraith dog, but aside from that, there was nothing new.

The pain shot through me again, and this time, I saw something under my skin moving around. Freaky!

I forced myself to watch this bump move around in the closed wound. When it stopped moving, the pain stopped. I wiped the tears from my eyes, and began to make the trek to the infirmary.

I'm not entirely sure how I managed to get to the infirmary by myself, with the amount of pain that I was going through, and all the times that I collapsed in the halls. Come to think of it, why didn't anyone help me out? Jerks.

I sat on the examination table, and finished explaining to Beckett, and the rest of the team who had arrived, what happened and what I saw in the mirror.

Beckett began looking at the scar, and felt around my shoulder. As I sat there, getting prodded, I didn't feel anything like I did before, but I knew there was something there. I mean, it's not normal for a bump the size of a grapefruit to be moving around under the skin like that...and how does something like that just disappear?

Beckett stated what I knew he would, "I can't feel anything out of the ordinary-"

I cut him off, "It's there..."

"I didn't say that I didn't believe you, I just said that I couldn't feel anything. I'm going to get a MRI on you, and see if we can find out what this thing is."

As Beckett left to prepare the MRI, I looked between Teyla and Ronon, ignoring Sheppard, Weir and Rodney. I asked them, "Have you guys ever heard or seen something like this?"

Ronon shook his head, but Teyla surprised me by saying, "We have heard stories of young people becoming carriers."

"Carriers?" I questioned. This didn't sound good...not one bit.

She nodded gravely, "The Wraith implant the eggs of their created creatures into those they can capture alive. I hope this is not the case for you."

I saw the look in her eyes. I hate that look, you know the one that says I'm doomed. I asked, "What if that's what it is? What will happen to me?"

She shuddered before replying, "It depends on the creature you are harboring."

Weir finally jumped into the conversation, "What are all of the situations we could be facing?"

Teyla looked at her and replied, "She could be eaten from the inside out."

Gross.

She continued, "She could become too small of a host for the creature, and it will tear her apart as it grows."

Ouch...

Teyla finished with the last one, "Or it could be something to track her and suck her gifts from her...As I mentioned before, I have not seen such a thing actually happen, but we've heard stories from friends."

I sat there, mouth open, as I thought about what she was saying. It made me realize just how crazy the Wraith were. The experiments they were using, and their methods, were outrageous!

I suddenly wondered if they had studied spiders or something because spiders sometimes lay their eggs on the backs of other creatures, spiders and the like, and when the eggs hatch, the babies devour their carrier. I shuddered to think about it.

Beckett came back and asked, "Are you ready, my dear?"

I looked over at him, now terrified that Teyla was right. I nodded, afraid to speak.

I followed him to the room that he had prepared for me, and we began the procedure.

My feet headed in first, and when my shoulder was being scanned, my little creature started squirming like mad! I screamed at Beckett and the others, "Turn it off! Turn it off! God, turn it off!"

When they finally listened to me, the creature was still so angry, that it wasn't settling down. When I fell to the floor, everyone saw the movement in my shoulder. I could hear Ronon growling as he started to unsheathe a knife from somewhere.

Weir ordered, "Ronon! Don't!"

"What do you mean, don't? We can't let this thing remain in her! Look what it's doing to her!" he shouted at Weir.

The pain was becoming too much for me to bear, and I passed out.


	41. Isolation

**A/N: T, love your reviews! Hope this is another great addition to the story!**

**Reviews are love!**

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When I finally woke, I was in an isolation chamber. I sat up in the little bed they had given me, looking around. I sighed as I stood up and made my way to the door. I knocked on it.

A few moments had passed when someone finally came to the window. I asked, "Where's Dr. Beckett?"

The person motioned to me to wait, and they left to find the good doctor. I paced as I waited. This was taking too long, and I was growing nervous.

Finally, Beckett arrived. He asked me through the speakers of the door, "How are you doing, my dear?"

I raised an eyebrow as I asked, "Why am I in a padded room?"

Okay, it wasn't padded, but seriously, that's what it felt like. Isolation...with only a bed and the clothes on me...if that wasn't like a padded room, I didn't want to know.

He looked at me. "The creature inside of you would not stop moving. We were afraid of what it would do if-"

I finished his thought, "If it had escaped me and went to someone else..."

He nodded and said, "We are doing everything that we can to help you. You'll just have to sit tight."

I asked before he left me, "Have you had any luck?"

Beckett shook his head. "I wish I had some better news for you..."

"It's okay, really. Just keep me updated," I replied. He smiled as he walked away from my padded room. I sighed as I stepped over to the bed and sat down. This was going to be a long wait, I suspected.

Hours felt like days to me, as the time went by. I paced the room, and had become so bored, I braided and re-braided my hair...until even that grew tiresome. I finally grew impatient and knocked on the door again.

When someone finally came to my door, I asked, "What's going on? Any new developments?"

The person shook their head and walked away from me. This was getting old. I stood there, looking out the window of the door, hoping to see someone that I knew personally. I wanted someone to talk to, anything to keep me from having to braid my hair for the umpteenth time.

When no one came, I stretched out onto the floor, gazing up at the light that hung above me. I blinked and a mind numbing vision struck me, hard!

There were a lot of trees around me. It was dark and the moons were bright...moons? I heard a voice speak from behind me. What the words were, I couldn't say, but when I turned, I was face to face with Michael.

The vision ended and my eyes shot open. The pain was still strong, and I realized that it wasn't from the vision, as my head wasn't still hurting...I mean, anymore than it normally does after a freak migraine, but it was coming from my shoulder.

Whatever is in my shoulder, it was affected by the vision. It was squirming a lot, causing me to scream again. This time, everyone in ear shot of my padded room came running, including the team.

When things started to settle down, I was able to relax my tensed muscles. Through tear filled eyes, I glanced up at the team, who were all huddled around the window. I managed to speak, "Vision...Squirt didn't like it any more than I did..."

Weir asked me through the window speaker, "What was your vision? Do you remember it?"

I sarcastically said, "Oh, I'm fine...thanks for asking." After I managed to stand up on my own, I replied to her question, "Is there a place near here that has more than one moon?"

Teyla nodded as she stated, "There is one. It's an old home world of some of my people. It has long since been abandoned...why do you ask?"

I shook from the events leading up to this moment. I spoke, "I think I need to go there...alone."


	42. Face to Face Again

**A/N: Thank you T for your review! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Thank you emily. .5 for your review! No offense taken! I have several pre-written chapters that I'm still editing and moving forward with the bigger plot line. I have been allowing the main character to get to know others better, as I felt they haven't had a lot of time to do so. Be on the look out for some interaction with Weir soon. I've got some more chapters to post before that happens though, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought that about them! Other than that, I'm glad you're liking the story!**

**Here's the next installment! Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

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When they finally stopped yelling at me for thinking of going alone, I spoke my whole mindset. "I have to go there alone. I think that I can find the help there that I need...but I need to go by myself."

"Why? Who would be there?" Weir asked.

I carefully said, "I think Michael is there."

Ronon growled, clearly frustrated with me. Weir asked, "Why do you think that he will help you? He tried to kill you."

"I know...but honestly, what other choice do I have?" I questioned.

Weir stated, "We are working day and night, trying to find an answer for you-"

"Have you found anything?" I asked. When she didn't say anything, I added, "I didn't think so."

I sighed, and stated, "I fear this is the best option for me and everyone here."

"There has to be another way-" Weir began.

I cut her off, "I'm dying, Dr. Weir. Unless you've got something better to suggest, I think this is my only option. If I die at the hands of Michael, or whatever Wraith or creature that may be on that planet, or even by Squirt inside me...it's better than waiting for Squirt to kill me in here and possibly others here later. I can't have that on my conscious."

Going through the gate carrying Squirt wasn't as painful as I had thought it was going to be. I guess it liked traveling through wormholes as much as I did. When my body came through to the other side, I stood there for a moment. I wasn't sure where to go, or if this was going to work, but I wanted to make sure that if I did die, the creature wouldn't be on Atlantis, killing those that I had come to love and respect...sort of.

I chose a direction in the middle of the forest, and began to walk. As I cleared the trees before me, I was standing in a small clearing. I looked up and saw the moons above me, shining brightly. I smiled, realizing that I was in the right place, but smiling more so because all I could picture, looking at those moons, was Star Wars. Yes, I'm a nerd, but seriously, those moons were like those that Luke stared at in the movie.

I'm not sure how long I had stared at those moons, but I heard a noise behind me, and turned to see. As I gazed into the forest, I couldn't see anything.

I did notice, however, that my eyesight at night had improved greatly! I could see things clear as day, as though I were wearing night vision goggles. I chuckled as I realized that it would take something like this to happen in order for me to see what other gifts I had. Wonderful...

A voice spoke behind me, startling me, "Well, well. I didn't expect to see you here."

I turned, knowing full well who was behind me. I looked straight into his beady eyes. "Hello Michael."

He smiled at me. "What brings you to this uninhabitable planet?"

I swallowed. "Well, I was hoping you could help out a friend."

He scoffed, "Friend..."

I bit my lip, afraid of how he would react to me and my words. "Michael..."

He looked at me. "Why are you here? Did your people finally betray you to the point of you leaving?"

I shook my head. "They didn't even want me to come here alone."

"Why did they let you?" he questioned me as he looked around, clearly not believing the truth that I had spoken.

I inhaled slowly as I spoke, "Because it's my last chance to live."

Michael's gaze fell back on me. He looked concerned, so that made me feel a little better. He asked still holding some concern, "What's happened?"

I didn't have to speak. I turned slightly, exposing my shoulder for him to see, right at the moment that Squirt decided to move around.


	43. Unexpected Truths

Michael had taken me to a cave nearby. I was pretty hesitant to go, because...let's face it, he's a Wraith. He wanted to kill me last time we were together when he was trying to escape.

I sat down on the ground near the blazing fire he had started. He sat across from me after the fire was lit. He asked me, "So, how'd you manage this?"

I looked up at him. "What do you mean? Why do you think that I did anything?"

He laughed. "You humans are all the same. Nothing is ever your fault."

"That's not what I meant..." I started.

He shook his head and stated, "Where did you pick this thing up from?"

I wasn't sure what I could safely say to him. I thought about it for a moment, and realized that I had nothing left to lose. If I told him everything, I might be rid of Squirt, but he could possible kill me later. Then again, if I didn't tell him everything, Squirt might kill me. It's a double edge sword, really.

I took in a deep breath and asked, "Do you know about the alter things?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Alter things?"

How was I supposed to explain this? "It looks like an alter...I was strapped to it and it was sucking the life from me-"

"The sacrificing table?" he asked, still looking at me like I was crazy.

I shrugged. "If that's what it's called?" I shuddered to think that the alter thing was considered a sacrificing anything! I didn't need to know this!

Michael looked at me, almost in doubt that I was telling the truth. "You were on a sacrificing table?"

I nodded. "I guess..."

"If you were, you'd be dead," he explained.

I nodded. "Yeah...I was on that. It kills people, just not me."

He asked, "How did you manage to survive it?"

I thought about Melena pulling me off the table when the team came to my rescue. She had turned it off before pulling me off. I blinked. "My captors turned it off."

"Why would they do that?" he asked me as he tossed another log onto the fire.

"Because my team came for me," I stated.

Michael suddenly smiled. It freaked me out for a moment. His Wraith smile was pretty ugly and scary. I wasn't sure what was going on in his head. He stated, "You were Melena's sacrifice...weren't you?"

My eyes grew wide. "How do you know that?"

He looked at me and explained, "Melena had been a captive of the Wraith for years. When she exhausted her talents, we decided to make her a runner. However, she found you and your team. It wasn't long before we got a transmission from her, saying that she had found the perfect offering for her life. I didn't think it was you, however."

"Who did you think it was?" I asked, suddenly feeling as though this idea was a bad one.

He stood up and walked behind me. I tensed, waiting to be killed. Instead, Michael knelt down behind me and started to feel around for Squirt.

He asked, "What have you come in contact with?"

"What?" I didn't understand what he was asking. What did I come into contact with? Like what? I travel through wormholes to foreign alien worlds, what didn't I come into contact with?

He felt around the shoulder blade. "Were you bit?"

I gasped unintentionally. "Are you telling me that this is from that Wraith dog?"

He chuckled. "You have the funniest names for things."

"Is that what it is? A dog of some kind?" I asked, cringing from his probing.

"You're telling me that you were bit by this...Wraith dog?" he asked, clearly enjoying this.

I shook my head. "It wasn't a bite...it was a scratch. A claw was left behind..."

"Hmm..." he pondered.

I stated, "This doesn't make any sense. It couldn't be from the Wraith dog...that happened months ago! Before you came to Atlantis!"

He smirked, "I didn't say that it was from the dog."

"Do you know what it is from?" I questioned. He was better at the 'run around the bush' game than Ronon!

He laughed for a moment, then grew serious. "I need you to hold still."

"Why? What are you going to do?" I tensed, not sure what he was planning on doing.

Without warning, he dug his Wraith-y nail into my shoulder blade, piercing the skin and cutting along the bone.

I screamed bloody murder! It hurt so badly! It was worse than anything I had experienced...Okay, maybe in that moment, it felt like it, but still! It was painful!

When he finally stopped slicing me open, he dug his fingers into my flesh, and searched for Squirt. This didn't feel any better than what he did before!

"Hold still!" he hissed at me. I feel bad because all that I could do was scream and flinch from his pain.

Soon, I felt this sharp pain along the back of my head, then black.


	44. Beauty Through the Eyes of the Predator

I woke up to a throbbing head and shoulder. I moaned as I started to sit up, holding my head. When I looked up, I saw Michael sitting across the cave from me, warming his hands on the fire. I asked, "What the hell happened?"

He explained, "You wouldn't stop squirming."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Um...okay, but that doesn't explain anything."

He sighed as he lowered his hands. "I knocked you out."

"You hit me?" Really? I should have known better...

He chuckled but nodded as he explained, "Had you sat still and let me do what needed to be done, I wouldn't have rendered you unconscious."

"That's just rude...I mean really...How would you like it?" I asked.

He stood up and started to approach me.

For some reason, I started to panic. I backed away from him, as I asked, "What are you doing?"

He stopped and asked, "Do I scare you?"

I bit my lip. If I tell the truth and say yes, then he's going to throw the whole 'I'm a monster' speech at me again, but if I lie and say no, then he's going to get angry at me for lying...lose-lose situation...as usual.

By my silence, he chuckled before stating, "I'm checking your wound."

"Oh..." I muttered as he came behind me and poked my wound a couple of times. I asked, "Is there any way you could maybe be a little more gentle?"

He smirked as he walked away from me. "I thought you were supposed to be a super healer...take whatever pain was thrown your way."

I shook my head as I replied, "I wish. I think Squirt did something to me."

Michael sighed as he asked, "What are you going to do now that it's out?"

I blinked before asking, "Where is it? Did you kill it?"

The look in his eyes said it all. He didn't say a word, instead, he pointed to the dark corner of the cave.

I looked over and could see the light from the fire reflecting off of the beast's eyes. Great...

I glanced over to Michael and asked, "What are you going to do with it?"

Michael stated, "It's almost fully grown. I'm going to let it finish it's growth stage, then I'm going to train it to track."

I was afraid to ask, but did anyways, "Track what?"

He smiled as he replied, "You."

My mouth fell open as I whispered, "Me?"

Michael circled the fire and me as he explained, "It already has a connection with you, as you're the host, but it won't know what to do with you. I'm going to teach it."

"I don't understand...why would it have a connection with me?" I asked, suddenly afraid.

Michael explained, "It shares your blood. It can smell you. Should I train him to just track you, he shouldn't be a threat...but if I leave it to it's current state, it will hunt and kill you without a blink of an eye."

"But why would you train it to track me?" I asked confused.

Michael laughed as he explained, "Because I have a feeling that you're going to escape here, and I need you for my experiments."

"What experiments?" I choked on the words.

He replied, "Melena sacrificed you to us...to me. As far as I'm concerned, this creature is your leash."

I licked my lips as I stood up. I tried to speak, "Melena's dead though...you left her to die...your deal is void."

He started to laugh as he explained, "Melena's life was void the moment she was taken by the Wraith. You know this."

I asked another question that I was afraid of the answer, "What good would I possibly be to you?"

Michael's eyes flashed darkly as he explained, "You possess gifts of great power, and I can use them to harness them into the perfect army. I've already begun experimenting with the retrovirus, and now that I have your DNA, I will be able to succeed in creating the perfect invulnerable race as my own."

I waited for him to fiddle with his equipment that he had with him, and I took off out of the cave. He hadn't trained the wraith-dog yet, so my chances of running away might be higher than if he had trained it.

I heard Michael screaming in frustration as I ran away, but as soon as I was out of the maze of a cave, I could hear the howling of that blasted dog. I knew that I didn't have much time.

As I ran through the darkened woods, I tripped and fell onto the ground. The ground was wet and muddy, but I suddenly had a thought of pure genius.

I scooped up as much of the mud as I could and began to rub it on my body and clothes. I stood up and ran away, hoping this would work...if not, I would be a not so tasty snack for my dog...well, one could hope anyways.

I was beginning to love the fact that I could see perfectly in the dark. It was a skill that was much needed at this moment. I stopped when I lost the trail to look around.

When I stopped, I was under a tree. I could hear the dog running somewhere behind me, trying to catch up, and knew that I didn't have much time, and I wasn't sure anymore that I would find the Stargate.

I turned around to see if the dog was going to pounce on me, but instead, I was grabbed from above.

I let out a startled holler, but realized once I was lifted into the tree, that it was Ronon. I gasped," Ronon! What are you doing here?"

He looked at me, almost disapprovingly, before replying, "I followed you."

I rolled my eyes at the obvious but asked, "When? I thought I came here alone..."

Ronon nodded as he explained, "You did. I followed later."

"How did you find me?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrow and gave me that look. The one that tells me that I'm not very smart and having a McKay moment. He replied, "You're easy to track."

I nodded as I replied sarcastically, "I guess I need to work on that then."

He chuckled, and it surprised me that he picked up on the sarcasm for once. He asked, "Is Michael still here?"

I sighed, "Yes. He was in a cave further up-"

Ronon cut me off, "I know. Is he still there?"

I shrugged. How was I supposed to know that? It's not like I kept tabs on the guy when I'm running for my life...again.

I watched as Ronon tensed, and I stayed quiet, waiting for the next move. Somewhere nearby, we heard the howl of the dark creature, but stopping beneath our tree, was Michael. I looked over at Ronon, expecting him to leap out of the tree and kill the man...uh, Wraith-man?

To my genuine surprise, he didn't. He stayed in the tree with me.

As I watched Michael run away, trying to find me, I slipped a little from my perch. Ronon quickly grabbed me and helped stabilize me. I asked, "What do we do?"

Ronon replied, "We wait for now."

I looked at him before asking, "I thought you hated to wait?"

Ronon growled annoyed before replying, "I do...but I have you to worry about." He looked over at me, and waited for my response. I didn't have any. What could I say to that?


	45. Discovering a New Threat

**A/N: Ah, T! Love seeing your name pop up in my reviews! Hope this chapter answers some of your questions, but I fear that it will only create more! You know me and cliffhangers!**

**Reviews are love!**

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When Ronon finally decided to try and make it back to the gate, he jumped down from his perch in the tree and looked around. Once he felt the coast was clear, he motioned for me to jump.

I jumped...okay, I slipped and came crashing through the tree, landing in his arms. He set me down, giving me that look again, but spared me the lecture. He started to lead me through the woods, towards the gate, aiming his gun in front of him.

I made sure to really listen for any sounds that would be helpful, but there was nothing but silence.

I wasn't paying attention to Ronon, as I was really concentrating hard on listening in the distance, and bumped into his backside when he had suddenly stopped. I was about to say something, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me down to the ground beside him.

I looked through the brush to see what it was that he was afraid to keep moving forward for. Standing in front of the gate, was Michael, and beside him, was the stupid dog.

I sighed and asked quietly, "What do we do?"

Ronon gritted his teeth as he spoke, "I'm not sure..."

I bit my lip before asking, "Should we go-"

"Let me think, woman!" Ronon hissed.

I furrowed my brow at him. I understood that he was upset, possibly angry that we were in this situation, but seriously, it's not my fault...not all of it anyways. So don't take it out on me.

He suddenly turned to me and said, "Sheppard."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What about him? Is he here?"

Ronon looked like he wanted to shake some sense into me, for not understanding where he was going with this plan of his. He replied, "Pray for Sheppard, like you do all the other times. Tell him to bring a puddle jumper."

I nodded and said, "I'll give it a try, and I don't always pray for Sheppard..."

I started to concentrate on what I was trying to do.

As I was trying to concentrate, Ronon muttered, "Hurry it up."

I opened my eyes and glared at him. I hissed, "It's not that simple, Ronon..."

Ronon looked at me and asked, "Why is that?"

I scoffed, "First of all, I don't know if there is any simple way to do this. I don't know if there is a delay because of the distance between us, or if he can even hear me..."

"He can hear you..." Ronon muttered as he turned back to watch Michael and the dog.

I muttered back," It would be easier to do this if I didn't have you harping on me to do it faster..."

Ronon shook his head at me, but clearly not commenting on the statement.

Before I could close my eyes again, to try and focus, Ronon cursed under his breath. I glanced through the brush again, and saw that Michael and the dog were moving away from the gate, just as it started to activate.

I whispered, "Do you think that it's Sheppard?"

Ronon shook his head as he whispered back, "It seems Michael is expecting someone...or else he would have left the area when the gate activated."

I nodded in agreement with his argument. It seemed pretty solid.

Once the gate was connected, a single person walked through. This person was dressed in a cloak that covered the face, and many features. The gate deactivated, and the person lowered their hood.

Under the hood was a young man. I had never seen him before. Ronon looked at me as I concentrated hard to hear what was being said.

Ronon asked, "Care to share?"

I blinked as I kept focus on them. I whispered, "The person is here to deliver..."

"Deliver what?" Ronon asked, as he watched the exchange.

I whispered, "Payment...He's paying Michael."

"Why would he do that?" he asked me.

I shook my head as I continued to listen. I scoffed as the gate started to activate again, but this time, Michael and the new person ran into the woods, making me lose all of the conversation connections they had.

When the gate connected with this world, we were able to catch a small glimpse of the puddle jumper before it went into cloak.

Ronon asked me as the gate closed, "What was that man paying a wraith for?"

I looked at him and stated, "Because of his experiments...involving me."

"You? He experimented on you?" Ronon started to grow angry.

I shook my head. "No. He didn't have a chance. I escaped before he could. In fact, he helped get that wraith dog out of me, which hasn't tried to track me yet..."

Ronon stopped my train of thought by asking, "Do you know who that guy was?"

I shrugged. I didn't know, but I could guess. I didn't have a chance to say, because we could feel the puddle jumper above us. Ronon looked to me and said, "Sheppard is opening the gate for us. Ready to run?"

I nodded and he grabbed my hand. We started to run towards the gate, just as it was dialing. By the time we reached it, we jumped through the active gate, with the jumper behind us.

Back home, I had finished cleaning up from all of the mud. Once I was in clean clothes, I left my quarters and headed down a semi-familiar corridor. I reached the door I was searching for and hit the panel to sound the chime, letting the occupant know that I was there.

The door opened, and in front of me, stood Teyla. She looked as surprised to see me as I was to be standing there.

I felt bad, as I liked Teyla, but didn't spend much time with her. I needed to change that.

She looked up at me and asked concerned, "What is it?"

I bit my lip and asked, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

She smiled and stepped aside, motioning me to enter. I stepped into her room, and was instantly jealous of how nice her room was compared to mine. Of course, my room still had the claw marks from the wraith dog...so...I guess anyone's room was nicer.

She asked, "What can I do for you, Ricky?"

I hesitated but asked, "Are you familiar with any renegade Genii?"

Teyla tilted her head sideways at me, clearly confused or worried about my asking, but eventually stated, "I am familiar with a couple...why do you ask?"

I replied, "Because Michael is working with one of them...if not all of them."

Teyla asked, "How do you know this?"

I sighed," Because when Ronon and I were on the planet, where I had gone to get help from Michael...he had a man who was with the Genii show up and pay him."

"Pay him?" Teyla asked.

I nodded as I continued, "He said it was for his experiments involving me..."

Teyla nodded as she began to understand. "Do you know who this man was?"

I shook my head as I stated, "No, but he did say that Acastus isn't a patient man..."

The look on Teyla's face dropped. I had tried to figure out who this person was...I mean, I racked my brain over and over, remembering the things I had seen in the shows, hoping to figure this one out, but to no avail.

Teyla asked, "Are you certain that was the name?"

I nodded and asked, "What is it? Who is he?"

Teyla sighed as she stated, "Commander Acastus Kolya...he tried to take control of Atlantis a couple of times...almost killed Elizabeth."

Suddenly I remembered the name. I never knew the man's first name, but I knew the name Kolya well enough...and now that he knew who and what I was...I was afraid that I would hear the name more often than I cared to.


	46. Another Lock Down

Weir had assembled a meeting after Teyla had requested it. I knew what was going to happen, and I was afraid of the reactions from everyone.

When I finished telling them what I had told Teyla, McKay was the first to go off. He asked, "Tell me something, Ricky...How is it that you can manage to make enemies with every single person that we hate and you've only been here a year?"

I shrugged and figured that if he was going to blame me for things I couldn't control, then I'd poke at him a little too. I replied, "Maybe they got tired of threatening you..."

Weir interjected, "Enough! Do we know where Kolya is?"

Sheppard shook his head. "It's hard to say. After that incident two years ago with you, we haven't heard much from him."

Ronon asked, "I want to know what we're going to do about Michael. If those two are working together, shouldn't we go back and kill him?"

I appreciated what Ronon was trying to do, but I had a feeling that Michael was already long gone from that planet.

Weir stated, "Right now, we need to figure out what we are going to do as a whole. If Michael and Kolya are combining forces, we need to know."

Weir turned to Teyla and asked, "Do you think you can track down your contacts on the Genii home world and see what they know?"

Teyla nodded and stated, "I will contact them first thing in the morning."

Weir nodded back and said, "If you find anything at all that could be beneficial, let me know immediately. Until we know more, we're going to have to keep gate activity suspended."

I bit my lip, knowing that people were still going to hate me for the extended suspension. I looked over at the rest of the team, waiting for them to say something, and they didn't...as long as you don't count McKay's eye rolls.

I stood on my favorite balcony, overlooking the ocean as the sun set. I thought about what was going on. I didn't like being a target for every bad guy we've ever encountered and then some. I had Michael, this Kolya and his men, Guilly who I am sure is still angry about Panchet's death...the Wraith and who knows what else is after me. It was too much for one person to handle, not to mention, the people who would sooner turn me over to the enemy to save themselves, like Melena.

As I stood there, deep in thought, Ronon had joined me. I jumped a little when I finally realized that he had been standing there with me.

I sighed and mentioned, "Michael told me about Melena."

Ronon looked away from me as he asked, "What about her?"

"He knew about her. Said that she was no longer useful to them, and they were about to make her a runner, when we happened to come across her on that planet. She was going to use the sacrificing table to give my life for hers and yours..." I looked at him, waiting a response.

Ronon didn't say anything.

I asked, "Did you hear me?"

He replied, "I heard you."

"And?" I asked, suddenly worried that this wasn't a good topic still to discuss.

He looked at me and stated, "Melena died on Sateda. The woman who tried to kill you, wasn't the same woman that I married all those years ago."

I looked down at my feet, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?" he asked with a tone.

I sighed and stated, "Look...I know how frustrating it must be to have to constantly watch over me, because I'm useless with a weapon, and that I have the whole universe after me-"

He cut me off, "Then we need to practice sparring more."

"What?" I asked, clearly lost.

He smirked, "You need to practice more."

I furrowed my brow as I asked, "You called me weak at one point, if you remember, and I'm admitting to being a horrible fighter, and you're telling me to practice?"

He started to walk away as he said, "I'll see you in the morning. Be ready."

__With that, he left me alone on that balcony, utterly confused by the sudden order to practice more.


	47. Morning Intrusion

The next morning, I heard a chime from my door. I groaned and turned to look at my watch that I left on my night stand. _0630_...oh, someone's going to die!

Another impatient chime sounded, and I finally kicked the covers off of me. I sighed heavily as I stood up and made my way to the door. Why would anyone want to get up this freaking early in the morning? Haven't people heard about sleep and how amazing it was?

I opened the door, and there on the other side, stood an angry looking Ronon. Raising my eyebrow, I asked him cautiously, "What's going on?"

He gritted his teeth as he asked, "Where have you been?"

My confusion didn't falter as I replied, "In bed...sleeping?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Did you forget something?"

"To silence my door chime?"

"Sparring lesson, Ricky. We had practice. You didn't show up, so I came to get you," he stated. He pushed passed me and entered my room.

I kept staring at the spot where he was before he came inside, and eventually turned to where he decided to stand inside my room. The door closed behind me as I watched him pick up my clothes and toss them at me.

I caught them as I asked, "What are you doing?"

Ronon didn't stop. "Get dressed. We have a lesson."

I clutched the clothes to my chest as I pointed out, "You do realize that you never told me when we were having a sparring lesson. You just told me that I need more practice-"

"I told you to be ready in the morning," he stated, finally stopping his clothes tossing.

I rolled my eyes. "Morning is such a loose term...what time were you expecting me, anyways?"

He replied, "Half an hour ago."

"6? You wanted me to train at 6 in the morning? You're insane..." I replied.

Ronon didn't find my attitude amusing. He walked toward my door and said before taking his leave, "I will be waiting in the gym. You have five minutes."

The door closed behind him and I shook my head, scoffing at his behavior. This was stupid. Mornings were stupid.

I finally arrived into the gym, ready...okay, not really ready, but I was there. I watched as Ronon twirled some sparring swords in his hands. He tossed one at me but I wasn't coordinated. The stick fell to the floor behind me.

I walked over to pick it up. When I bent down to pick it up, my feet came out from under me, and I was lying on my stomach, next to the sparring stick. I gasped, as all of the air escaped my lungs. I rolled over and asked, "What the hell was that?!"

Ronon replied, "You should always be prepared for an attack."

"I was picking up the stupid stick..."

He shook his head as he asked, "Do you think that your enemy would wait for you to arm yourself?"

I muttered, "Maybe..."

Ronon extended his hand down to me. I smirked as I reached for the sparring stick to my left and his hand with my right. Once I was on my feet, I swung at him. He aptly avoided my attack. My smirk disappeared.

He smiled as he stated, "You give away your intentions too quickly. Learn to suppress them."

"I'm not a Vulcan," I muttered again, watching him move around the room.

He looked at me confused before asking, "Vulcan?"

I sighed, "Never mind."

He lunged for me, and I flinched as my sparring sword dropped from my hand. He picked it up and held it out to me as he said, "Focus."

I sighed as I took the sword from him. I waited for his next move, but he just stood there. I asked, "What are you doing?"

He replied, "Waiting for you to attack me."

I raised my eyebrows surprised. "You want me to attack you?"

He nodded and waited. I hesitated. During my hesitation, Ronon reached out to me and tripped me, once more. I landed hard on my back.

I looked up at him and asked, "I thought I was supposed to attack you?"

He sighed, "Battle isn't fair, Ricky. Don't listen to your enemies."

"This isn't going to work..." I stated.

He helped me up again and said, "You'll get it. You just need-"

I cut him off, "Coordination."

He smirked as he replied, "Practice."

I scoffed, "Face it, Ronon...I'm the worst student you've ever had. I'm not a fighter. I'm sure that McKay could beat me up."

__Suddenly, Ronon had a look on his face, like he had a brilliant idea. He walked out of the room, and I stood there waiting for him to come back, but he didn't. I muttered, "Was it something I said?"


	48. Training Mishaps

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Later that afternoon, I sat alone in the mess hall, quietly eating my lunch. Suddenly, another tray dropped in front of me. I glanced up from my meal to see the new tray, and the owner behind it.

"What can I do for you, Rodney?" I asked.

He sat down and questioned, "What did you say to Ronon?"

"What?" I furrowed my brow at him. What did I say to him to get McKay defending him?

"Ronon wants me to train with you," McKay explained. Okay, so that makes more sense...he isn't defending Ronon, he's complaining about Ronon...much more McKay like.

I choked on my food. "What?"

Rodney started to open his water as he stated, "Ronon thinks that I should be your sparring partner."

I blinked at him. "Really?"

"And of course, Sheppard and Elizabeth thinks that it's a good idea," he added.

I chuckled. "Don't worry, Rodney...you'll kick my ass."

Rodney stopped what he was doing midstream and asked, "Really?"

I nodded as I stated, "Oh yeah...I'm pretty confident that you're a better fighter than me."

Rodney smiled, suddenly having a boost to his ego. "Oh...great. When do we start?"

I chuckled as I shook my head. Ronon was a genius.

That afternoon, Rodney and I stood in the gym's center. Ronon and Teyla stood off to the side watching us. Occasionally, they would give orders to us, and would help us learn moves and teach us what we were doing wrong.

I had to give Rodney some credit. He was a pretty good foe for me. He would get cocky, of course, and then I would be able to get a hit in, which I admit, I hit a little harder than I needed to, but it brought him down a couple notches.

I smiled and decided to use one of Ronon's tactics, as I was starting to feel better about my abilities to fight. I looked at Rodney and said, "Attack me."

Rodney lowered his guard and stared at me. "What?"

I kept my stance and repeated, "Attack me."

"You want me to attack you?" McKay asked once more, like he knew there was a trick up my sleeve.

I tried to hide my smile as I nodded. "Yes...attack me, as hard as you can."

He blinked as he replied, "Oh...okay...um. Here we go..."

I had it planned out. He would try to attack me, and I would dodge the attack, and hit him from behind, sending him to the floor.

Unfortunately, he came at me, and seconds before he reached me, I felt the familiar surge of pain and bent over from the pain. Rodney didn't realize what was happening to me, and hit me anyways.

I fell to the ground in pain, mostly from the vision. Just before I came to, I saw only one image. A face of a man dressed as a Genii. I didn't know who he was, or what his connection would be.

I opened my eyes and saw the three lingering over me. I blinked as I stared back at the three of them. I asked, "What happened?"

"We were about to ask you the same thing," McKay replied.

I sat up and felt hands helping me to my feet. I asked, "Teyla, what ever happened with your conversation with your friends in the Genii?"

She looked between me and the others before admitting, "I haven't heard back. I had to ask for the message to be delivered. Why do you ask?"

I sighed, "I think we're going to have a visitor soon..."

We heard Weir's voice on our radio, "Teyla, please come to the gate room. We have a friend of yours here."

Teyla cocked her head at me before replying, "I'm on my way, Elizabeth."

We followed her out of the room and towards the gate room.


	49. Meeting the Contact

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When we arrived into the command room, we saw Sheppard and Weir sitting in her office, talking to a man. We walked towards her office, and she looked up, motioning us to enter. As we walked in, she asked, "Teyla, you remember your contact from the Genii home world?"

Teyla nodded and smiled. "Of course. Good to see you again, Pertius."

As Pertius stood up to return the hello, my face dropped. He said his hellos, and I blinked at him. He was the man from my vision...the only image that I can remember.

Sheppard must have seen my face, because when I looked over at him, he mouthed, "You okay?"

I shrugged. I didn't know what to say. Instead, I just stood in the back of the room, near Sheppard and Ronon.

Pertius stated, "When I received your message, I began to delve into the research left by Kolya. I was attempting to find any clues as to where he would go...any sort of paper trail to find his location."

Weir asked, "Have you found anything?"

Pertius shook his head as he replied, "Not yet. We're still looking though. We have sent spies to try and locate him, but most do not return."

Teyla asked, "Do you believe that they have been killed?"

The man shook his head. "We do not know. We've accepted that possibility however. We have also considered the possibility of treason."

"Treason?" Weir asked for clarification.

Pertius stated, "As you may recall, Koyla has not only hurt our relationship with you and Atlantis, but he has tried to overthrow everything the Genii stand for. He has become a menace, and we fear that he has already begun making alliances with other enemies."

"Like the wraith?" Weir asked.

"It is possible, though we don't know for certain," he agreed.

"When was the last time you've seen or spoken with him?" Weir questioned.

Pertius replied, "A few months prior. He was trying to recruit more men. We can't pinpoint where he is, as he's always on the move. I will say that we are aware of some of the threats he has made to other Genii supporters."

"What does that mean?" I asked without thinking.

Pertius turned to me and explained, "We have tried to resume our trading agreements with some of our friends, but we have found that a good portion of them have been killed or tortured. As I have mentioned, Koyla has become a menace, and I am hoping with your help, we can put a stop to him, before it's too late."

"Well, we're not fans of the man either," Sheppard stated.

Pertius nodded. "I did hear of the unfortunate events involving you and him."

Weir asked, "Do you have any idea where to start, or what he wants?"

He sighed, "Aside from having complete control over Atlantis? We think there is something or someone involving you that he has his sights set on."

I looked at Sheppard and inhaled deeply.

Weir met my gaze and nodded as she looked back to Pertius. "Thank you for coming and telling us this. We will discuss our options, and see if we can help narrow the search for you. We will send word to you tomorrow, with any updates."

Pertius nodded and said, "Of course. Our communication stations are always active. I will await your decision."

Teyla walked him out so that he could return to his home world.

Once he was out of the room, I asked, "So...he's after me?"

McKay was about to speak, but Sheppard cut him off, "It would make sense. I mean, you said that Michael met with a man from the Genii who said that he wasn't a patient man..."

I replied, "I think that Pertius might be in on this."

Weir asked, "Why do you say that? Did you see him?"

"Only in a vision, "I replied.

Ronon mentioned, "Don't forget there was that man in the dark cloak on that planet, speaking with Michael."

Weir nodded as she stated, "I think that we will keep security tight. Keep gate activity closed until we can track down Koyla. Rodney, I'd like you to begin isolating possible planets where Koyla could be, a place where he can continue contacting the Genii. Also, see if you can figure out where Michael could possibly be."

Rodney nodded and asked, "Should I also find out what the meaning of life is as well?"

Weir shot him her disapproval look, and Sheppard piped in, "I always did want to know the answer to that."

McKay grumbled to himself as he took his leave, and the rest of us followed shortly after.


	50. Early Morning Conversations

I woke up startled. I was suddenly on guard and I wasn't sure why. There was no reason for me to be so jumpy or was there? Each time in the past that I had woken up nervous, there was always a good reason to be.

I sat up and looked over at my clock. _0412._ Ugh...I hate mornings!

I pulled the covers off and stood up. I began to get dressed and finished when I tied my boots. I walked out of my quarters. I didn't have any particular place to go in mind but I just decided to walk around.

Gate activity was still down because we were still working on trying to find Koyla and Michael. Things were starting to get rather boring in Atlantis and I knew that people were going to be blaming me for that, as they usually did. I was even mad at myself for the lack of fun and travel that was happening...or not happening, as the case may be.

I walked into the mess hall and grabbed some juice. I looked up and saw a couple of people sitting at the far table. One of the people was Zelenka. I stepped up to their table and smiled as I asked, "Mind if I join you?"

Zelenka motioned for me to sit at the empty chair that sat next to him.

I sat down and asked, "Why is everyone up at this ungodly hour?"

Zelenka replied, "Couldn't sleep. Rodney's got us working all the time on that alter."

I was about to drink from my juice bottle but I froze at the word 'alter'. I asked, "Have you come across anything yet?"

He shook his head as he added, "Well, nothing that would suggest that it's a danger to anyone."

"So it's a different alter than the one I was on?" I questioned.

He shrugged as he replied, "From what we could determine."

Zelenka's friend mentioned, "It's releasing some sort of energy but we don't know what it is other than that."

"Are you sure that it's safe?" I asked.

Zelenka's friend sighed, "I guess we'll find out soon enough. We have to get back to it."

I watched as the scientists got up and walked away from the table. Zelenka looked at me before he walked away and said, "Don't worry, Ricky. We'll figure this out."

I smiled at him, unsure if he was really confident about it or if he was just saying that to appease me. I honestly didn't think that I would be able to rest until I knew for certain what that alter was for, and why it was left for us to find.

Later that morning, I walked into the infirmary. Beckett was examining the friend of Zelenka's that I had seen earlier that morning. I asked as I approached, "What happened?"

Beckett turned to me and replied, "Oh, he's all right. He has a headache, that's all. What can I do for you, my dear?"

I shrugged as I stated, "I was in the neighborhood. I thought I would see if you were free for breakfast or something?"

Beckett smiled warmly at me. "I'd like that very much. Just give me another five minutes to finish this up."

I nodded and sat down on a nearby chair as I waited. Beckett continued to work on Zelenka's friend, and soon, another scientist that was assigned to the alter walked in.

Beckett turned to her and asked, "What can I do for you?"

She replied, "I've got a bad headache. I just need something for it and I'll be out of your hair."

Beckett looked at the two of them and asked, "Both of you are experiencing the same symptoms...are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with the alter you're working on?"

The girl snapped, "Come on, Doc...just give me a shot already! It's a headache! Haven't you ever had a tension headache from having to deal with working non-stop?"

I stood up. There was something not right about the way she was talking to Beckett.

To Beckett's credit, he didn't argue back. Instead, he just said, "I'm sorry, dear. Of course. Here you go."

He gave her the shot and sent her on her way. She stormed out of the infirmary, followed by the other scientist. Beckett looked over at me.

I asked, "What was that about?"

Beckett shook his head as he replied, "I don't know...I think we better just keep an eye on them."

I nodded as I added, "I think it might be worthwhile to tell McKay too. It could be coming from that alter."

Beckett agreed and I followed him out of the infirmary and towards Weir's office to update her on what just transpired.


	51. Strange Reactions

Weir sat at her desk, looking over several reports when we walked in. She looked up and said, "Carson. Ricky. Nice to see you."

Beckett replied, "And you as well, Elizabeth. Have you got a moment?"

She cocked her head with interest as she asked, "Of course...something the matter?"

Beckett stated, "We've just come from the infirmary. Two of the scientists that are assigned to the alter have come in complaining about headaches."

"They have been working on that alter for the past few days now, with little sleep and food...isn't that normal?" she asked.

Beckett replied, "It would be normally, however, they are having similar symptoms, not to mention bad attitudes."

Weir smiled before asking, "Again, wouldn't that be normal for sleep deprivation?"

I piped in, "It's not normal for people to snap at Beckett though. They lashed out at him, and demanded treatment so that they could get back to work. Do you think that McKay is pushing them too hard?"

Weir thought for a moment before saying, "I'll talk to Rodney and find out what is going on. Is there anything else that I should know?"

Beckett asked, "How have you been feeling?"

Weir chuckled as she stated, "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I'll keep you posted with what Dr. McKay has to say."

Beckett nodded and as we started to leave, he stopped at the door. He turned and asked, "Let me know if you notice any unusual behavior from anyone else, will you?"

"Of course," she replied.

As Beckett and I walked out of her office, I asked, "Did she seem off to you?"

Beckett looked at me and asked, "Off, how?"

I mentioned, "Well, everything was about sleep deprivation...could it be a cover up?"

Beckett chuckled and said, "I think you're a little paranoid, dear. I think that you haven't spent enough time with her to know that is who she is. I think she's okay, for now."

I bit my lip. I wasn't convinced, but he did have a good point. I didn't spend a lot of time with her, so this could be true for her personality.

Beckett asked, "How about some breakfast?"

Beckett and I sat in the corner of the mess hall. We had been eating our breakfast for about five minutes when Zelenka walked in and looked around. When he spotted us, he came over.

I happened to look up as he started his way over. I muttered, "Incoming."

Beckett glanced up to meet my eyes, then turned around to see Zelenka stopping at our table. He looked at our newest arrival and asked, "Radek? Is everything all right?"

The Czech scientist shook his head as he explained, "I've been having these terrible headaches lately, and I was hoping you could give me something to take the edge off the pain."

Beckett glanced over at me just before he stood up. "Oh, of course...Meet me in the infirmary and I'll be there momentarily."

When Zelenka left, Beckett turned back to me and said, "This might be more serious than I thought. It seems to be spreading."

I nodded in agreement. "I think we need to get that alter out of here."

Beckett sighed. "Sorry to cut this meal short, my dear. It was lovely chatting with you."

I smiled at him. "We need to do this again, soon."

I watched as Beckett smiled back and placed his hand on my shoulder just before he took his leave.

As I stood there alone, getting ready to leave, I scanned the room. There were a lot of people in the mess hall, but there was something off. Some of the tables seemed happy, some were crying, and then one table, the two scientists began fighting with each other.

I took a step forward, getting ready to try and break it up, but Sheppard and Teyla walked in and did it for me. I still walked over there, just to fill them in with what I saw.

One of the scientists shouted, "I always knew you hated me!"

"Takes one to know one!" the other shouted.

Sheppard pushed them apart and ordered, "Knock it off! Go!"

We watched as the two angry men walked in different directions. Sheppard looked at me and asked, "What happened with those two?"

I sighed and began to say, "I think there's something wrong with the alter..."

Teyla cocked her head. "What do you mean? Has there been some discovery?"

I shook my head and explained, "No. Not really. The people who have been working on it, or around it have been acting strangely."

Sheppard asked, "Strangely?"

"They've been coming down with similar symptoms, like headaches, then they seem to be lashing out aggressively. Beckett has been treating them as they come in, but lately, it seems like a lot of them at once," I mused.

Teyla asked, "Could this be contagious?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Only one way to find out."


	52. Truthful Admissions

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We walked into the infirmary and saw the complete disarray. Beckett was struggling to keep order, so Sheppard jumped in to help out.

I walked up to the frazzled doctor and asked, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Beckett looked at me and sighed heavily. "I'm glad to see you guys! This is getting out of control!"

Sheppard asked once he was able to get some form of order, "What's wrong with everyone?"

Beckett looked at me before stating, "I think Ricky might be right. I think this might have something to do with the alter that you brought back."

"We brought that back over two weeks ago," Teyla pointed out.

Beckett nodded as he continued, "I know that, however, it's the only thing that makes sense. No one began work on that alter until a few days ago. That's when the symptoms started."

"What symptoms?" Sheppard asked.

Beckett began, "Headaches, loss of appetite, dramatic mood swings, loss of sleep, truthful admissions followed by aggression."

I asked confused, "Truthful admissions? So you're saying that people are telling the truth before they lash out?"

Beckett nodded as he rubbed his temple. "It's as if people are saying things that were never meant to be said. Feelings or thoughts, desires that have been kept secret for a long time..."

"You okay, Carson?" I asked as I observed his behavior.

He nodded as he replied, "I'm doing all right, thank you dear."

Sheppard stated, "We need to tell Elizabeth about this."

Beckett replied sadly, "There's a small problem there, son."

Sheppard looked at Beckett and waited. When Beckett motioned us to follow him into the next room, we did. Once we stepped across the threshold, we saw Weir strapped to a bed, thrashing around violently.

"What has happened to Elizabeth?" Teyla asked.

Beckett replied, "She's got whatever everyone else here has. She attacked an IOA agent sent here by Woolsey."

"That doesn't sound like Weir, " I mentioned.

Beckett nodded in agreement as he stated, "Unfortunately, I was standing there when it happened. It could be a deep suppressed feeling of hers to want to hurt the IOA after their numerous attempts of taking her command away from her."

Sheppard asked, "So, what's causing this? The alter itself or something involving it?"

Beckett shrugged as he stated, "I wish I could tell you, Colonel. Unfortunately, this is a hunch from the freak-"

I scoffed at Beckett as he had motioned to me when he said freak.

Beckett was taken back by his choice of words and stammered, "I-I'm so very sorry, Ricky. I didn't mean it like that...I just-"

I cut him off, "It's okay, Carson. I know that I'm a freak."

There was no reason to make him feel any worse about what he said. It was the truth as far as I could say, so I couldn't hold it against him. Besides, I knew that everyone felt that way about me, and I needed to prepare myself for hearing it more often as this thing spread.

Sheppard slowly began, "So, we just need to turn the alter off?"

Beckett sighed. "It's a good place to start."

Sheppard nodded and looked at Teyla and me. "Let's get geared up and turn this thing off."

I was following them out of the infirmary, when I heard Beckett shout after me, "Ricky!"

I turned to look at him. He said, "I am sorry..."

I smiled at him as I stated, "It's okay, really. Don't worry about it."

As I started to leave again, he shouted, "Be careful!"

I nodded as I turned the corner out of the room and ran to catch up to Sheppard and Teyla.


	53. There Were Two

The three of us entered into the armory and began to put on our gear.

Sheppard stated, "We need to move quickly. This thing seems to be spreading fast. If the freak is right, then we need to get this alter out of here."

Teyla and I exchanged glances. I looked back at Sheppard as he grabbed his gun off the rack.

Teyla said softly, "John...Put the gun down."

He turned and looked at the two of us. "Excuse me?"

Teyla was standing protectively in front of me. "You just called Ricky a freak, much like Doctor Beckett did earlier. Have you been experiencing any of the symptoms that we were told?"

Sheppard thought for a moment before exhaling, "Yeah. I've had a headache for days, but I didn't think it was related."

Teyla stepped forward and took the gun from him. "I think we need to get you to the infirmary, for your safety."

Sheppard nodded and stated, "I think that's a good idea. I can feel it getting worse."

Teyla placed her hand on his shoulder as she led him out. As she passed me, she whispered, "Grab a weapon."

My eyes grew wide. I reached out and grabbed a weapon as she suggested, and followed her out into the hallway.

Walking towards the infirmary, Sheppard said, "You know, I always liked you Teyla."

Teyla shook her head ever so slightly, as she replied, "I know, John. And I you."

We turned into the infirmary and Sheppard clarified, "No, I mean, you know..."

"If you say so, John," Teyla replied as she guided him onto an examination table.

I asked, "Should we strap him down? I mean, before he gets violent?"

Sheppard glared at me. "I'm not violent!"

I inhaled deeply as I raised my eyebrow as if to say 'my point'.

Beckett arrived and asked, "Didn't you just leave?"

Teyla nodded as she explained, "Colonel Sheppard has been experiencing the same symptoms. We thought it was best to bring him here."

Beckett agreed. "That was the right choice. You better get moving to that alter. The sooner this thing is off, the sooner order is restored."

I asked, "How are you holding up, doc?"

He shrugged as he stated, "I'm not sure. I can feel the aggression coming on...and I'm fighting it, but it's becoming difficult. So...it's best if you hurry. I don't want to hurt any of these people."

Teyla nodded. "We will do our best."

Before we left, Beckett asked, "Have either of you experienced any of the symptoms, yet?"

I shook my head, and Teyla replied, "I have not."

Beckett mused, "It could be because you possess that Wraith gene."

I had a feeling I knew the reason why I wasn't affected, but I asked anyways, "What about me?"

"It could be because you're a freak...I mean..." he stammered, trying to correct his words.

"I get it. I figured that was the reason," I stated, letting him off the hook once more.

Teyla motioned for me to follow her out of the infirmary, and I stayed close to her. I realized that I needed to rely on her now, more than ever. She was the only one who was good at fighting. I was practically useless.


	54. Outnumbered

**A/N: T! Long time no see! Brought a smile to my face just seeing your name in my inbox! Glad you're still reading the story! **

**Here's the next installment! Enjoy!  
Reviews are love!**

* * *

As the two of us walked cautiously down the corridor, the lights suddenly turned off. The emergency lights had kick on, and we stood there staring up at the lights. I asked, "What just happened?"

Teyla replied, "I am not sure. Let's keep moving."

As we walked on, I asked, "Do you think it's spread completely throughout Atlantis?"

She cautiously walked in front of me, searching side corridors for people. "I fear that it might have."

We rounded the corner, and saw a group of scientists standing on the other end of the hall. We tried to step back from where we came, but they saw us. One of them shouted as they ran towards us, "Hey! There she is!"

I muttered, "Are they talking about you or me?"

Teyla shrugged as we raised our guns at the scientists running at us. When they stopped in front of us, we noticed that they were armed as well.

The one who shouted earlier stated, "We've been looking all over for you Wraith hybrid."

I muttered, "That's you..."

Teyla glanced over at me, and I added, "It's not me."

The leader of this band ordered, "Lower your weapons and come with us."

"Why would we do that?" I asked.

The man replied, "Because we could kill you, but we're offering a peaceful option."

The man standing next to him blurted, "I thought you said we were going to kill them once they surrendered their weapons."

Suddenly, I asked, "Why do you want to kill us?"

The truthful man stated, "She's a hybrid, and you're a freak! Everything that happens to us, to this expedition has been because of you two!"

I'm not sure where this came from, but I said, "Actually, you're wrong, sort of."

I looked at Teyla and met her gaze. She suddenly understood what I was up to.

The leader asked, "What do you mean we're wrong?"

I replied, "It's not Teyla's fault. It's mine. You're right...I'm a freak. So..."

I lowered my weapon to my side and asked, "What are you going to do about it?"

Before they had a change to answer, and because they were slightly stunned that I was admitting to being the problem child, Teyla and I lunged at them.

Okay, so Teyla took down more of them than I did.

I attacked a couple, and did pretty well for being my uncoordinated self. Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my left arm, and turned to push my attacker away, but my left arm was useless.

Teyla took care of my attacker for me, as I slumped to my knees. I looked at my left arm, and saw the blood running down my arm. It was looking pretty terrible.

Teyla bent down and saw my wound. She ripped a piece of material from her coat and began to wrap my arm up. "That was reckless, Ricky."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" I asked, cringing as she tied the tourniquet around my arm.

She helped me up and asked, "Should we get you to Doctor Beckett?"

I shook my head. "The alter should be around this corner. Let's just finish this. Besides, I'm a healer, right? Give me a couple minutes, and I'll be just like new."

The look in Teyla's eyes was a mirrored image of what I was thinking. The wound hadn't started to heal when we were tending to it, so we didn't think that it was going to heal without some real help first.

Regardless of her thoughts or mine, we continued onwards.


	55. Going to See the Doc

**A/N: T, I love knowing you're still reading. Just knowing that is enough to make me happy!**

**Here is the next chapter. I'm updating early as I will be MIA for a couple days and in case of a freak snow storm, which is still possible here even in May, I wanted you to at least have another chapter.**

**Reviews are love! Enjoy!**

* * *

Teyla helped me walk into the room that held the alter. When I lifted my eyes up to scan the room, my mouth fell open.

I asked, "Where's the alter?"

Teyla asked me, "Are you sure this is where the alter was?"

I nodded as she helped me sit down in a nearby chair. "It was right here..."

Teyla began to examine the room for clues as to where our missing alter had gone. "I do not see any thing that says what they were doing, or where they would have taken it."

I sighed heavily, feeling defeated. I cradled my arm as I mused, "Maybe Rodney would know."

Teyla asked, "Has he not been infected with this as well?"

"Oh, I'm sure he has...but he's in charge of the project...if anyone would know what happened to it, it's him," I replied.

Teyla stated, "All right. We will look for Doctor McKay, but first, we need to get you to Doctor Beckett."

"We'll be wasting time," I stated as she began to help me up from the chair.

Teyla replied, "You are no good to me if you cannot use your arm. Now...let's get you to Dr. Beckett."

The walk to the infirmary was painful. I could feel my body weakening from the amount of blood lost. I began to wonder if the man who attacked me hit an important artery or vein or something. I wasn't a doctor, so I couldn't say.

When we walked into the infirmary, nothing had changed. There was still a ton of people all over the place, strapped to beds, chairs, walls...anything, to keep them from hurting each other.

Beckett saw us and walked over to meet us. He asked as he saw the wound, "My God...what happened?"

Teyla explained as she helped me up onto his desk, "We were attacked by a group of angry scientists."

Beckett took off the bandage Telya made and examined my arm. He started to fill a syringe up with some solution and asked, "How long has it been since this happened?"

I cringed as I replied, "I don't know...twenty minutes? Maybe more?"

Beckett stuck the needle into the wound and pushed the plunger down in the syringe. I screamed in agony because the solution burned within the open wound.

I pushed him away shouting, "What the hell? What is that stuff?"

Teyla grabbed me before I fell to the ground. I felt her hold me protectively as she examined my wound herself.

Beckett looked at the syringe and stated, "Sodium Chloride." He flashed a devilish smile at us.

Teyla asked me as we started to back away from him, "What is that?"

I groaned, "Salt...the jerk shot liquid salt into my arm..."

Beckett stopped walking and stated, "You won't succeed...just give up."

We turned and quickly ran from the crazed Doctor and his lab of torture.


	56. And Then There Was One

**A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I did not get snowed in like last time, but Life did get in the way! (Silly life!) **

**Thank you T for your review! I wish we had Autumn here, but alas, we do not. It's usually Summer and Winter. Spring is so short you miss it, and Autumn is a rarity. I love Autumn too...**

**Anyways...here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy! Reviews are love!**

* * *

Teyla had my good arm around her shoulders as she helped me down the corridors, in search of McKay. I stopped her by saying, "I'm sorry, Teyla...I need to rest."

She leaned me against the wall as she looked around the corridors. I could feel my breathing slowing down, and I had a feeling that my pigmentation was pale. I muttered, "You should go on without me."

She looked back at me and replied, "I will not leave you here defenseless."

I scoffed, "I'm no use to you like this...I wasn't any use to you before this..."

"Do not say that-" she started.

I met her gaze and mentioned, "You're going to have to leave me behind."

Teyla replied, "I cannot leave you here in your condition!"

I shouted, "Teyla! Listen to me! If you keep dragging me around, I'll die sooner. The best chance we have is for you to search for McKay without me. If you find McKay, you find the alter. The sooner you find them, the sooner everyone returns to normal, and Beckett can help me. Right now...I am slowing you down."

"What will you do if someone finds you?" she asked.

I chuckled. "I'll pretend to be dead." She didn't like my joke, that was apparent, but I didn't care.

She questioned, "What do I do when I find the alter?"

I swallowed before saying, "Turn it off...destroy it? Whatever it takes to make this go away."

She looked into my eyes and whispered, "Take care of yourself, Ricky. I'll be back."

I nodded slightly and said, "Good luck."

She headed down the corridor alone, leaving me behind. I met her gaze, just before she ran out of sight.

I sighed heavily as I slid down the wall to the floor. I cradled my arm, and hung my head in defeat.

I sat there alone in the dark hallway. I looked at my wound and noticed that it hadn't healed at all. I couldn't understand why all of the sudden, my super human healing wasn't working. I wondered if maybe this was how the alter affected me. I also began to question if Michael had done something to me when he removed Squirt from my body.

Whatever the reasons, I knew that I wouldn't live this time. I had been feeling like I was fading away slowly.

I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment. When I opened them again, it was because I felt someone shaking me awake.

I blinked and came face to face with Ronon.

I flinched from his grip, or tried to. If he was under the influence of whatever this alter was doing, I knew what he would be capable of.

He demanded, "What happened?"

I croaked, "Teyla and I were attacked..."

"By whom?" he demanded again.

I asked, "Are you, you? Or are you someone else?"

He looked amused for a moment before asking, "Who else would I be?"

"You haven't noticed everyone else?" I questioned. I wondered where he had been this whole time.

Ronon replied, "I have, but they are still themselves."

I furrowed my brow at him. "Where have you been this whole time?"

He looked confused. "What?"

"You've always been there for me...where have you been? Why haven't you come to help me before now?" I questioned.

He replied, "I was with Lorne and his team on the mainland, dealing with a dispute."

"This whole time?" I asked skeptically.

He chuckled. "You do not know the Athosians."

Suddenly, I asked, "Have you been experiencing any symptoms?"

"Symptoms of what?" he asked annoyed.

"Headaches, um...truthfulness?" I tried to recall all of the symptoms that Beckett told us earlier, but I couldn't focus on much of anything.

He nodded. "A little bit, but I'm managing. Besides, I ran into Teyla earlier."

"You did?" I asked.

He stated, "She told me to find you. She's tracking McKay now."

"Why aren't you helping her?" I asked.

He helped me to my feet, causing me to cringe a little from the pain in my arm. "I was told to find you and protect you. People are still running around Atlantis, and from what I can see, you need help."

"Don't we all?" I muttered.

Ronon picked me up and began to carry me out of the darkened corridors. I asked, "Where are we going?"

He stated, "I'm getting you out of the open."


	57. Out of the Open

Ronon took me to an empty lab and set me down on my feet. I cringed, but didn't say anything. I sat down at the nearest chair and asked, "What are we going to do?"

"We?" he eyed me as he searched the room for who knows what.

I clarified, "What are you going to do?"

He explained, "Teyla told me to watch you. I'm going to do just that."

"You should be out there helping her," I muttered.

He approached me carrying supplies in his arms. I hadn't been paying attention to where he had gotten them from, but I was so out of it and in pain that I wasn't going to ask.

He began to wrap my arm up in the bandages that he found. He stated, "I should be, but I'm not going to."

"She could get killed being out there by herself, Ronon," I protested.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you saying that you want me to leave you here alone?"

I sighed. "Look, Finish patching me up and go help her...I can take care of myself here."

He chuckled. "Because you've done a great job up to this point, clearly."

I rolled my eyes. "Jerk."

He tightened the bandage too tight on purpose. I inhaled sharply from the pain. He finished what he was doing and stated, "Done."

"Thanks...next time...just take the arm," I muttered. My arm was throbbing from the tight bandages.

He ignored me and walked around the room again.

I asked, "So, are you going to help her?"

He looked at me annoyed. "Why are you so eager for me to leave?"

I admitted, "Honestly, if you are effected by the alter, I don't want to be the victim of whatever you'll do to me."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "What makes you think that I'm not already far gone?"

I glanced up at him. The thought never occurred to me that he could be further into it than I originally believed. I asked, "Are you?"

He sighed, shrugging at my question. I knew that he wasn't going to answer me.

I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment, but when I opened my eyes, Ronon had moved across the room and was kneeling in front of me again.

I flinched when I saw him so close to me.

He stated, "You need to stay awake."

I muttered, "And you need to help Teyla."

He spat, "I'm not leaving you alone."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because you'll die if I do," he answered.

I asked, "How do you figure?"

He glared at me. "Do you know how much blood you've lost? You have no color to your skin. I've seen this a thousand times when I lived on Sateda...this is just the beginning stages before you die from a wound like that."

"I'll heal..." I lied.

He saw through it. "If you were going to heal yourself, you would have done so by now."

He had me there. I couldn't argue with that.

I asked, "I'm dying anyways, right? So...do some good by-"

He growled at me, "Stop trying to get rid of me, woman! I'm not leaving."

"You're stubborn," I muttered.

"You're vexing," he retorted.

"I am not," I replied.

"My point," he stated.

I sighed heavily and said, "I need to lie down."

He helped me up to my feet. Once I was on my feet, he carried me to a nearby table, where he set me down.

I laid on my back and looked up at him. I whispered, "I'm sorry that I'm vexing..."

He ordered, "You're not going to die on me."

I smirked, "I'll try not to..."

He stood there quietly. I closed my eyes for a moment. He barked, "Ricky! Wake up!"

I blinked my eyes open. "What?"

"Stay awake!" he growled at me.

"Yes sir..." I mumbled.

I swallowed and felt my breathing growing shallow. I admitted, "I'm glad that I met you, Ronon."

He leaned over me and replied, "Stop talking like that."

I stated, "I have to say something...I want you to listen, okay?"

He asked, "Is it going to sound like something a dead person would say?"

"I don't know what dead people say, but..."

He cut me off by kissing me on the lips. It wasn't rough or eager like they had been in the past. This kiss was gentle, comforting...loving.

I felt his lips leave mine. Then my world grew dark.


	58. Small Lead

**A/N: Thank you T for your review! Sorry to leave you hanging like that! But here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up to the familiar sounds of the monitors in the infirmary beeping. I blinked to restore my vision.

I looked around to see that I was indeed in the infirmary. I guess Teyla succeeded in shutting the alter down.

I looked around the room for a familiar face. I saw Beckett walking up to me. He smiled as he neared my bed, realizing that I was awake.

I cringed as I asked, "You're not going to shoot salt into my body again, are you?"

His smile disappeared. "I'm so sorry about that, Ricky! I don't know how to make that up to you..."

"It's okay...I guess I know where the saying about salt in the wound came from..." I muttered.

I could see the look of disappointment on Beckett's face, so I asked, "What happened?"

Beckett stated, "Teyla managed to destroy the alter. The effects of that machine wore off relatively quickly."

"Relatively?" I asked.

He hesitated before saying, "Not in time to save you, however."

"What? I don't understand...you're saying I'm dead?" I asked confused.

He replied, "I'm not sure how to explain it to you, but you did die. Ronon was with you when it happened. You were dead for about thirty minutes before you came back to life on your own."

"How does that happen?" I questioned.

Beckett shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh...okay...great," I mumbled. I knew there was still a lot that we didn't know about this freak condition of mine, but to die and come back to life was something completely unexpected.

Beckett said, "I need to let Dr. Weir know that you've woken."

I nodded as I watched him walk away from me.

I laid there, thinking about everything. It didn't make sense. I died and came back to life...was it possible that I had multiple lives? I chuckled to myself just thinking about that. I could hear McKay now, calling me the human cat...Cat Woman? Oh boy...

A few hours later, Weir had arrived with the team to my bedside. She had gotten the full update from Beckett and now she was standing next to my bed. She asked, "How are you feeling?"

I mumbled, "I've been better..."

She nodded as if she understood. "We were worried about you."

"I see...what happened?" I asked.

She stated, "The alter was releasing ultrasonic waves, which caused different reactions in people. When Teyla destroyed it, it stopped emitting these waves, and eventually, everyone returned to normal."

"I bet Rodney was thrilled," I jested.

She smiled. "He's still not too happy with how things were handled, but I am glad the two of you had your wits about you."

"Don't thank me...I died from what I'm told. It was all Teyla," I admitted.

Weir said, "Even so, you helped figure out the problem."

I asked, "So what happens now?"

Weir replied, "Well, we're still cleaning up from the incident, but during your recovery here, we have found a lead on Kolya and Michael."

"Really? What kind of lead?" I asked, suddenly more awake than I was a moment before.

Weir explained, "An allied race of the Genii have contacted Pertius and told him about a recent visit with some of Koyla's men. I was about to send a small team out to investigate."

I nodded and asked, "Can I go?"

She raised an eyebrow and stated, "Well, we'll need to see if Dr. Beckett will clear you for travel, but it shouldn't be a problem."

I smiled. "Thanks. I think I need a change of scenery."

She replied, "I can imagine so. Glad to see you're still you."

She smiled warmly at me as she left me to Beckett's mercy.


	59. Something Off

**A/N: Thank you Robert for your review! Glad you like it!**

**Here is the next chapter! Reviews make for happy days! Enjoy!**

* * *

Beckett had released me with little fuss. He told me to be careful with the arm as it was still healing.

When I had asked him about how it was possible that I died for half an hour but came back to life, he had no answers for me. I had secretly hoped that the old guy, Tom, would come and explain it to me, but I haven't seen him in a really long time, so...I guess I never would have the answers I wanted.

I walked into the gate room with my gear on. I approached the team and smiled a little awkwardly at them.

They returned the smile. Sheppard stated, "It's good to have you back on the team!"

"Thanks," I replied.

Sheppard said, "It hasn't been the same without you. Rodney has been grumpy in your absence."

McKay interjected, "I have not!"

Smiling, Sheppard whispered, "Grumpy..."

I chuckled as we waited for the gate to connect to this planet. I walked over to Teyla and she smiled at me. I said, "I wanted to thank you for what you did."

She smiled at me. "I am just glad that you are well and alive. You had all of us worried when you had died."

I replied, "Yeah, well...it wouldn't be me if I didn't make someone worry...or angry, as the case may be for McKay."

She chuckled as she stated, "He is not that angry with you."

I asked, "So, what happened when you left me in that hallway?"

She replied, "Finding McKay was easier than I had expected. He was with the alter, as you suspected. Destroying it proved to be a little challenging, but once I found the right place, it was easy."

I nodded as she spoke. I asked, "How long did it take for everything to return to normal?"

She thought for a moment. "Perhaps an hour?"

I nodded again and stated, "I'm very grateful that you did what you did for me, Teyla."

"You are most welcome, Ricky. Shall we?" she asked as she motioned to the active gate.

We stepped through together, and I knew from this moment on, I had a new friend in Teyla. My only regret was that it took me this long to get to know her, and that it took a catastrophe like that blasted alter to bring us together.

When we arrived on this planet, we noticed that the gate was stationed in the middle of the courtyard of this massive city. It reminded me a little of New York City, as the buildings towered over the trees and us.

I leaned in and asked Teyla, "I'm confused...I thought these people were less advanced than the Genii...Why would they be allies?"

Teyla explained, "It could be that the Genii have something, like weapons or perhaps food that these people require to survive."

I muttered, "Something tells me that's not it."

We were approached by five robed people. The tall bald man in the front spoke loudly, "Welcome! Pertius mentioned that you would be stopping for a visit! I hope you are not too tired from your travel through the ring."

Sheppard replied, "We're fine...thank you."

The bald man stated, "That's good. Please, let us show you the guest chambers."

As we followed the bald leader man, we passed the others who waited until we passed them before they fell in behind us. I felt like cattle being led to the slaughter.

When we entered one of the tall buildings, my mouth fell open. It was like something out of a movie. Everything was shiny and had it's place. It was beautiful as the light poured in through the stained glass windows.

We were showed the room where we would be staying, should we stay for longer than intended and we thanked them for the room.

Sheppard asked, "I'm a little surprised to tell you the truth."

"How so?" the man asked.

Sheppard replied, "Well...you just seem...more evolved than the Genii."

Baldy chuckled as he stated, "We do have our short comings and the Genii have been most appeasing."

I raised my eyebrow at the use of that word. It wasn't the word that I would have chosen unless...

McKay also picked up on the choice of words. "Appeasing? How so?"

Baldy explained, "We give them parts for their weapons and defense systems, and they return the trade with counterparts for us."

Sheppard repeated, "Counterparts?"

Ronon muttered, "Spouses."

My eyes grew wide. It made sense why he would use the word appeasing.

Baldy could see the situation growing uncomfortable so he continued, "I am sorry if that offends you. We have learned that our kind does not meld together genetically, so we have to procreate outside of our race."

McKay scoffed, "That doesn't make any sense...wouldn't that dilute the genes?"

Baldy shook his head. "Our race isn't like anything you have ever encountered before. What we have isn't something that can be passed through genetics, but only by dire circumstances."

"So, why do you need to marry outside of your own race?" I asked suddenly. I was confused. Nothing he said made any sense.

He looked at me and stated, "You of all people should understand what I mean."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry?"

"You're like us," he said as he approached me. When he stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes, I saw that his eyes were like mine. The color was different, but the swirls were there, clear as day.

My mouth fell open. I couldn't speak. My breath hitched in my throat.

McKay asked, "Wait, what?"

Baldy turned to the rest of the team and stated, "You didn't tell me you had one of our kind with you."

Sheppard stated, "She's not like you."

The man chuckled. "Maybe not...but there is a lot we must discuss. I am called Hain."

Sheppard did the introductions quickly, and Hain smiled once he heard my name.

"Pertius should be arriving shortly. Please, we have food and drink available to you," Hain stated as he led us out of the room.

I chewed on the inside of my lip. Something about this was not sitting well with me. As I passed people, I could tell they were like me...or I was like them...either way, there were similarities, especially in the eyes.

When we arrived into the room where the food was, Rodney immediately set to work on filling his stomach. Hain left us as he went to greet Pertius at the gate.

I mumbled, "I don't trust this guy...I don't like it here."

McKay squealed, "This stuff is amazing! You have to try this!"

Sheppard asked, "How is it that the Genii knew of a world that had people like Ricky's ghost friend, but no one said anything?"

Teyla shook her head. "Perhaps they thought we already knew of their existence?"

I mumbled, "I still don't like it here."

Pertius walked into the dining room and exclaimed, "I didn't know you were from this world! How fortuitous!"

I looked at Teyla. "So much for your theory."

She looked at me slightly apologetic, but didn't say anything.

Pertius approached me and asked, "So...what can you do? Are you able to see the future, just as these people?"

I eyed Pertius for a moment. "What?"

He blinked at me then turned back to Hain. "I thought you said she was like you?"

Hain stepped forward and asked, "Can you see into the future?"

Sheppard interrupted, "I'm sorry, but we weren't here to discuss Ricky's abilities, we were here to discuss Koyla's visit."

Hain nodded, still watching me. "Of course, my apologies."

I sighed in relief once Hain walked away from me. I could feel the hair standing up on my arms.

Hain explained, "This Koyla used to be a close ally with us, but after his behavior with the Genii, we were forced to break all connections with him. He showed up a few days prior and we shut him out, but not without a few casualties of our own."

"What was he doing here?" Sheppard inquired.

Hain sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of red wine. "He wanted to make a trade."

"What kind of trade?" Sheppard asked, showing a slight frustration of being given the run around.

Hain took a sip of the wine before saying, "We didn't really listen to his offer. We are a loyal race, you see. Our loyalties lie with the Genii home world. When they informed us of his betrayal and violent methods of trying to overthrow his own home world, we vowed never to deal with him again."

Sheppard sighed before asking, "When he left, do you know where he was heading?"

Hain shook his head. "I am sorry, but I did not."

McKay swallowed before saying, "I can run the data crystal from the DHD, get the past addresses and go from there."

Sheppard asked, "How long will that take?"

McKay glared at him. He hated questions like that, as we knew, but it had to be asked. He replied, "As long as it takes."

Sheppard sighed, "Then get going. Teyla, go with him."

The two walked out, but not before Rodney grabbed another roll to take with him.

Hain stood up and asked, "Since you will be staying until Dr. McKay finishes his task, may I talk to Ricky about her abilities?"

I furrowed my brow at him. I didn't understand why it was so important to him to talk to me about the freakish things I can do.

Sheppard stated, "You have to ask her...and if she says no...you will have to respect that."

Hain nodded. "Of course, of course."

He looked at me and didn't have to say a word. I asked, "What does that entail?"

He approached me and asked, "I just want to talk to you...is that all right? Perhaps we can learn a few things from each other..."

Talking...seemed normal. I stated, "Fine, but they stay."

Hain looked over at Sheppard and Ronon. He nodded and extended his hand to a chair for me to sit in. I sat across from him.

He asked, "How did you become like us? How long have you been like us?"

I shrugged. "I don't know...a little over a year?"

"How did it happen?" he asked leaning forward in his chair, studying my eyes intensely.

I replied, "A man gave them to me..."

"A man, you say? Do you remember his name?" Hain asked.

"No...I never got a name..." I stated slowly. Something told me that Hain already knew how this happened to me. Somehow, I felt like he knew more than he was leading us to believe.

Hain asked, "Was he middle-aged, by chance?"

I sighed. "Before he gave me his gifts...I guess so."

"Gifts? I've never heard any one of us refer to them as that...except for one man," Hain stated.

I waited for him to continue. Hain pulled out a small device from his robe and turned it on. After a few moments of pushing buttons, he turned the screen for me to see.

He asked, "Is this the man that did this to you?"

I started at the screen. The image on it was in fact the old man who did this. I stared at the young version of Tom. He looked sad and my heart ached when I saw that image of him.

I nodded. "Who was he?"

Hain turned the image off and put away the device. "His name was Sorun. He was a prominent member of our society, but quite frankly, nothing more than a troublesome man."

I furrowed my brow. He had been nothing but helpful for me. Again, something didn't seem right here.

Hain asked, "Did he say why he gave you his...as you say, gifts?"

I realized that I didn't want to tell him anymore. I felt like I was being set up somehow. I shook my head and explained, "He died shortly after."

Hain hung his head in defeat. He raised his head and asked, "What have you discovered?"

"Discovered?" I asked.

He clarified, "Your abilities. What have you discovered that you can do?"

I sighed and said, "I can see in the dark like it was daylight."

"That's all?" he asked skeptically.

I forced a smile and shrugged. "I haven't been noticing anything different."

Hain narrowed his eyes at me. I realized that he knew that I was lying. I just didn't know what he would do about it.

Sheppard stated, "I think we need to check on how McKay is doing."

Hain never took his eyes off of me. "Of course."

I stood up and walked over to Sheppard and Ronon. We walked out together and I whispered, "Thanks."

Sheppard replied, "There's something not right here...I'm not sure what it is yet."

I nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking that for a while. I just hope that McKay found something useful."


	60. Unspoken Words

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When we stepped outside, the gate was there but McKay and Teyla were not. We walked up to the DHD and looked at it.

Sheppard stated, "Well, the crystal is missing, so McKay and Teyla are still here somewhere..."

He grabbed his radio and pressed the button. "McKay, Teyla...come in."

He tried a couple of times but nothing but static was returned. I looked up at Ronon. He was scanning the area, looking at the people around us.

Suddenly, we heard several sounds of weapons being aimed at us.

I sighed, "Oh boy..."

Sheppard and Ronon had aimed their weapons back at them, but we were severely outnumbered. Hain suddenly appeared walking to the front of the horde.

"Lower your weapons. I would rather not kill you," he stated.

Ronon growled under his breath, "I'd love to kill you..."

Hain glared at Ronon. "It may not surprise you, but I can hear you perfectly as though you were standing next to me..."

Hain turned his gaze onto me and added, "Does that sound familiar, Ricky?"

I didn't say anything. I knew that I didn't have to. It just annoyed me that I knew he knew what I was capable of, but I'm not sure he knows everything.

Sheppard lowered his gun and looked at Ronon. "Lower your gun, Ronon..."

It took Ronon a moment before he decided to listen, but he did listen. Hain's men came by and took our gear from us, including weapons and our transmitter for home.

We were led to the jail cell we would be sharing. Inside the cell sat Teyla and McKay.

We were pushed into the cell and the doors slammed behind us.

Sheppard asked, "You guys okay?"

Teyla nodded. "We are fine."

I heard McKay say, "Yet another fantastic moment of meeting enemies because of Ricky."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. "Shut up Rodney!"

All eyes were on me. Rodney stated, "I didn't say anything."

I blinked at him. "Are you serious? You're just going to sit there and tell me that you weren't just blaming me for this?"

He looked at me like I grew three heads overnight. "I didn't say anything!"

I glared at him. "I just heard you!"

Sheppard stated, "He didn't say a word, Ricky."

I looked at everyone. "You're sure?"

Teyla asked, "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm not sure..." I mused out loud. If he didn't say anything...then...really? I can hear thoughts now? Wonderful...just perfect. Let's check that off on the list of things the human freak can do.

Sheppard looked at me as I argued with myself in my head. He asked, "Did you read his thoughts?"

I sighed. "I guess so...but there's no way of knowing..."

I looked at McKay again and ordered, "Think of something...anything...something that I wouldn't be able to guess."

McKay looked at me, again like I had lost it.

I replied, "You think I'm crazy. Too easy...think of something else."

I sighed frustrated, "You're thinking that this is stupid and impossible...really, Rodney...out of everything to think of...this is what you are thinking?"

Sheppard interrupted, "I think we got the point, Ricky. You're able to read thoughts..."

"I don't understand...how is this possible?" I asked.

Teyla suggested, "Perhaps it is possible that you are exposed to these people and their abilities are allowing yours to emerge."

I asked, "Is that even possible?"

"Best idea so far," Sheppard admitted.

Ronon asked, "How do we get out of here? Reading minds isn't going to help us there."

I glared at him. "And brooding will?"

"Kids...don't make me separate you..." Sheppard jested as he looked around the cell.

I could hear the faint sounds of footsteps approaching. I whispered, "They're coming."

Sheppard stopped searching for a way out and stood there just in time for our bald friend to arrive.

Hain arrived with three guards. He opened the cell and motioned for them to enter. When they came inside, they grabbed me by the arm and escorted me out of the cell, which was promptly locked up behind me.

Sheppard asked, "Where are you taking her?"

Hain explained, "We have some things to discuss. Sit tight. We'll bring her back...mostly in one piece, should she cooperate."


	61. Interrogation

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I was led into a dark room, much like an interrogation room. I sat in the chair as Hain sat across from me.

"Why did Sorun choose you?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" I retorted.

Hain leaned forward and asked, "What are your abilities?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I asked, "Why are you asking me questions to which you already know the answers to? Clearly you know when I'm holding something back, so what's the point?"

He leaned back and stated, "It's more fun this way."

"Why don't you use your abilities to find out what you want to know?" I questioned.

He chuckled as he said, "I don't have to. You're like an open book, Ricky. You're a terrible liar, and frankly, I already know more about you than you do."

"Is that so? Well, I guess that means we're done here...so, if you'll kindly let us go, we'll be on our way out of crazy town," I replied.

He laughed. "I'm afraid it's not that easy."

"Why not?" I asked.

He inhaled deeply. "Because Koyla isn't here yet."

"I knew you weren't telling the truth," I stated.

Hain said, "Sorun was trouble from the beginning. He wanted to revolutionize the way we see the universe."

"How so?" I inquired.

Hain replied, "By fighting the Wraith and the allies they make in their quest for total power. Instead of working with them, he wanted to fight them and we couldn't allow that to happen."

"So...you're working with the Wraith?" I asked.

He stated, "We knew you were on the planet with that half-breed Wraith. We let you escape so that things would fall into place."

"The man in the cloak...that was-" I started.

Hain cut me off, "That was one of our scouts. He was sending the payment to that half-breed for his part in this."

"What part is that?" I asked.

"He plays many roles. Just like you," Hain stated.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I pondered out loud.

Hain stood up and circled me as he explained, "Don't you find it curious how you manage to find these alters? How conveniently placed they seem to be?"

"You're saying that Michael is putting them in places that we are going to be?" I questioned.

He chuckled, "Michael...I never did understand why he went by that name...Yes, he places them in areas we tell him to."

"Where you tell him to?" I asked confused.

Hain explained, "Like you, we can see the future. As you know, the future can change, but when it involves you, it seems that it doesn't. We've been very lucky this far in being able to plan this far ahead."

"You're telling me that you're responsible for the alters?" I asked again, still unsure that I was following correctly.

"Yes, Ricky. We built the alters for the Wraith. We also make the devices that create runners," he explained.

I asked, "Why would you do this? What have the Wraith offered you that you honestly believe that they will keep their end of the bargain?"

Hain stated, "What makes you think we're on the Wraith's side?"

"That's all you keep talking about...how you help the Wraith in their mission for total power in the universe," I recalled.

He shook his head. "There's a much bigger force than just the Wraith, Ricky."

I thought for a moment, before it clicked. "Koyla..."

Hain smiled a devilish smile. "Now you're thinking like us."

I shook my head. "Koyla is a traitor to his people. What makes you think that he won't do the same to you, once he has what he wants?"

Hain explained, "I thought you of all people would understand. We can see the future, Ricky."

Just as he finished speaking those words, a vision struck me hard. I crumpled to the floor in pain as it surged through my body.

I watched as Koyla and his men entered the city and set it ablaze. The once beautiful New York-ish city was nothing more than ruins on fire.

When my eyes flew open, Hain looked confused by what just happened. I blinked a few times, shaking slightly as I started to sit up.

He asked, "What was that? We've never seen anything like that before."

I explained, "I had a vision."

"Of the future?" he asked confused.

I nodded. "What? You don't do that?"

He shook his head as he explained, "No. In fact, it's painless for us."

"Of course it is..." I muttered.

He mused to himself, "I wonder why Sorun chose you if you can't handle the abilities."

I suggested, "Maybe he knew you wouldn't look at my kind."

Hain chuckled as he agreed, "Perhaps you are right."

He motioned for the guards to take me back to my cell. They grabbed my arms and started to lead me away when Hain added, "I'll be seeing you soon, Ricky."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Hain," I muttered as I was escorted out.


	62. Friendly Rescue

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Back in the cell, I was tossed back in. I fell to my knees from the push.

Sheppard asked, "What happened?"

I stood up and asked, "Have we found a way out yet?"

"Not yet, we're still working on it, why?" he asked.

I replied, "I think we're going to need to figure it out sooner rather than later. Koyla's coming and he's not going to be happy..."

"You had a vision, didn't you?" Sheppard asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. He's going to destroy this place. We need to get away before that happens."

Before we were able to do anything about escaping, the door opened behind us. We turned to watch as an elderly woman walked in.

She pressed the buttons on the panel by the exit and our cell door opened. None of us moved.

She motioned for us to follow her. When we didn't move, she turned back to us. She walked up to me, causing tension between Ronon and Sheppard. She grabbed my hand and I felt this surge of emotion flowing through me.

I wanted to cry. I suddenly trusted her with my life. I whispered, "We can trust her."

McKay scoffed, "And you know this because...?"

I repeated, "We can trust her. Come on."

She held my hand as she led us out of the prison and down the corridors.

Sheppard asked, "Where is she taking us?"

I explained, "I think we're under the city...she's taking us to the gate."

McKay questioned, "How are we going to get to the gate from under the city? Remember, it's still above us."

I replied, "She's going to help, Rodney..."

"Okay, so say she helps get us up to the surface from here...we don't have the crystal for the gate anymore...we won't be able to dial out," he stated with his know-it-all tone.

I stated, "She has it."

"Oh, she has...of course she...what?" McKay asked.

We suddenly stopped and she looked at me. I asked, "What? What is it?"

She pointed up above us. I looked up and saw a ladder leading up to the surface.

Sheppard saw it too, and quickly climbed up to check it out. He stated before climbing out, "Clear."

Teyla followed McKay out, leaving Ronon with me and the old lady.

I said to her, "Go on. I'll be right behind you."

She smiled as she began to climb up the ladder. Once she was out, I followed, knowing Ronon was close behind.

On the surface, the gate was right in front of us. The woman replaced the crystal into the DHD and McKay began dialing home.

I looked at the woman and asked, "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

She smiled at me, but didn't say a word. The gate activated and gun bursts were heard all around us.

Sheppard shouted, "Rodney! Teyla! Go!"

I glanced over to see them running toward the gate. They jumped in.

I turned my attention back to her. "Come with me!"

Her expression changed to fear. I explained, "It won't hurt you! They'll kill you if you stay!"

Sheppard shouted, "Ricky! Go!"

I pleaded with her, "Please! Come with me!"

She eventually started to move with me towards the gate. When we got to it, I had to pull her into the open wormhole.

We arrived through the other side, and the woman looked startled yet amazed. I asked, "Are you okay?"

She smiled warmly at me.

Sheppard and Ronon appeared behind us, and the gate shut down. Weir started to walk towards us.

"What happened?" she asked.

When her eyes fell upon the elderly woman who saved us, she asked, "Who is this?"

I replied, "I know that we have a protocol to follow, but she saved us...They would have killed her if we left her..."

Weir gave me that look that told me that I knew better. I did know better and I was already taking blame, so she didn't say anymore on the matter. Instead, she said, "Go get her cleared by Dr. Beckett. I expect a full report on what happened."

I smiled at her. "Yes ma'am."


End file.
